The Santa Monica Sun

"We are following the California Education Code as it relates to the student’s discipline." - Principal Antonio Shelton https://santamonicasun.com/local-news/will-student-behind-samohi-snapchat-threats-be-permitted-to-return/

Will Student Behind Samohi Snapchat Threats Be Permitted To Return? The Santa Monica High School senior busted for posting threats on social media last week will not be returning to campus anytime soon. “The student will remain off campus while next steps regarding this incident are determined,” Principal Antonio M. Shelton announced in an email to parents Sunda...

Which side are you on?

Shore Hotel Awaits City Council Decision Santa Monica City Council is expected to vote tonight on whether to allow The Shore Hotel to upscale its offerings and compete with other resort-like hotels in the city. Owners of the Shore Hotel — located at 1515 Ocean Avenue across from the pier — have been lobbying for years to add restaurant...

“The assault on the homeless statue is in the same family as violent book burning.”

'Homeless' Statue Toppled, Artist Ed Massey Speaks Out A controversial sculpture toppled by vandals should be back on display in the next few weeks, its creator says. “It’s gonna go back up,” artist and activist Ed Massey told The Sun. Massey constructed the seven foot likeness of a bearded transient man in ragged clothes to raise awareness about ...

If you thought something was missing, you were right!

Here's What Happened To All The Seats On Third Street Promenade Standing room only! Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade — already reeling from record high vacancies and a downturn in tourism — has quietly begun removing all pedestrian seating during weekdays. “We recently decided to remove public seating on the Promenade Monday through Thursday…when ...

Scary times in Santa Monica!

'I Have A Gun': Restaurant Patrons Robbed In Broad Daylight Two patrons were robbed in broad daylight Saturday while dining on the patio of a Santa Monica pizzeria. The unidentified customers — both men in their early twenties — were seated in front of Dagwoods (820 Wilshire Boulevard) around noon when they were approached by Jamar Daniels, 39. “I noti...

Witnesses say the victim was naked at the time of the accident.

Hit And Run! Pedestrian Left For Dead On Pico A man lost his life after being struck by two vehicles on Pico Boulevard Saturday night. The incident occurred just after 8:00 p.m. near the corner of 10th Street. The unidentified victim — who witnesses say was naked — was first struck by a white Dodge Challenger with red racing stripes on the ...

Just how expensive is it to live in Santa Monica?

Where Does Santa Monica Rank Among America's Most Expensive Cities? Location, location, location! Santa Monica — with it’s soaring crime, sky-high taxes and estimated 1200 homeless residents — is again among the ten most expensive places to live in America. A study released this week by Property Shark lists 90402, which includes the prestigious “North of Mon...

Santa Monica has lost 50 police officers, there is a gang crisis on the pier, Parking Structure 3 could become a bowling alley and more from Phil Brock's town hall meeting.

Phil Brock: ‘I Carry Pepper Gel To Downtown Santa Monica’ Phil Brock does not feel safe walking around the town he represents. “For the first time in my life, I carry pepper gel with me to downtown Santa Monica,” the freshman City Council member revealed in a town hall discussion with residents Wednesday night. “I can’t tell you how horrible it mak...

Another stabbing, this time at a soon-to-be-demolished Vons supermarket.

Vons Guard Stabs Customer, Claims Self Defense On guard! A security officer at Vons supermarket says he stabbed a customer in self defense Monday night. The unnamed guard phoned 911 at 10:35 p.m. requesting help at business near Broadway and Lincoln Boulevard. “The reporting party, a security guard at the location, told the operator that he go...

Administrators at some schools say the costumes are inappropriate and send the "wrong message." Others disagree.

Eliminated! 'Squid Game' Costumes Banned At Some Schools Red light! Costumes from the popular Netflix series Squid Game have been eliminated from Halloween festivities at three different elementary schools in New York State. Administrators from Mott Road Elementary, Fayetteville Elementary and Enders Road Elementary — all in suburban Syracuse — have s...

Pizza with a purpose! How one Santa Monica restaurant is giving back to the community...

Local Pizzeria Donates Unsold Food To Area Shelters The slices come topped with kindness. For the past five years, Dagwoods Pizza on Wilshire Boulevard has been quietly donating unsold food to local charities and shelters for women and children. Upward Bound House in Santa Monica has been receiving about five large pizzas a week, general manager Mark...

Last night in Santa Monica...

Underage Girl Stabs Man, Faces Attempted Murder Charge An adult male remains in stable condition after being stabbed by an underage girl. The scary altercation unfolded just before midnight Tuesday near the intersection of 5th Street and Broadway. “Comments of the call indicated a suspect stabbed a victim and fled the scene,” Santa Monica Police Lt....

This scary situation unfolded near the front entrance to Roosevelt Elementary School on October 26 as students were still being dropped off.

Watch: Parents Confront Angry Transient In Front Of Roosevelt Elementary He’s a real school bully! An angry transient lobbed F-bombs and N-words at parents dropping their children off in front of Roosevelt Elementary School Tuesday morning. The expletive-dropping drifter was originally spotted sleeping on the school’s front steps around 7:30 a.m., witnesses said. In ...

Another day, another senseless crime. Police are asking for help from the public to catch the sicko who did this..

Homeless Man Set On Fire In Santa Monica Park The worst type of arsonist is on the loose in Santa Monica. Police are looking for a male suspect, who set a homeless man on fire Saturday night in Ozone Park (727 Ozone Street) near the border of Venice. The incident took place around 11:35 p.m. as the victim was sleeping. >>READ ALSO: New SM […]...

Another senseless crime in Santa Monica. Only this time the world is watching because the victim is a "celebrity"

'Survivor' Star Michelle Yi's Attacker Is Missing Woman From Fresno We now know the identity of the woman who brutally attacked Santa Monica resident and reality TV star Michelle Yi. Alexandria Diaz, 25, has been charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to published reports. Lt. Rudy Flores, a spokesperson for the Santa Monica Police Depa...

WATCH: 15 year-old dog rescued after falling 300 feet into ravine off Mulholland Drive.

Watch: Dog Rescued After Tumbling 300 Feet Into Ravine Off Mulholland Drive He’s one lucky pup! Firefighters from two different departments pulled off a heart-stopping 90-minute rescue Saturday after a visually impaired senior dog tumbled 300 feet into a ravine in the Santa Monica Mountains. Los Angeles County Fire Dept Engine 69 was already on the scene when former Holly...

Belcampo is gone -- five months after an embarrassing "meat mislabeling" scandal. The company reportedly notified employees via text message.

Belcampo Restaurant, Butcher Shop Shutters Following Mislabeling Scandal Stick a fork in it! Belcampo — the pricy westside butcher shop exposed last spring for passing off ordinary deli meat as organic and grass fed — appears to have hung up its cleavers. A sign written in red crayon greeted customers at 1026 Wilshire Boulevard with four simple words: “Closed for b...

“I can’t remember it not being there," one neighbor tells The Sun

Abandoned Vehicle Advertising Adult Website Hasn't Moved In Months An abandoned van advertising a sexual encounters website appears to have remained in the same West Los Angeles parking spot for more than six months. The graffiti-covered burgundy Ford promotes a classified ads website called BackPagePro.com. It’s similar in content and appearance to the controver...

Santa Monica has a new police chief...and he has quite the backstory...

New SM Police Chief Resigned From Last Job After 'No Confidence' Vote Ramon Batista was announced as the new Santa Monica Chief of Police today

Here's what the City of Santa Monica and Council member Phil Brock had to say about the possibility of stricter Covid vaccine mandates.

Will Santa Monica Follow L.A.'s Strict New Vaccine Mandates? It’s a tale of two cities. Santa Monica will likely not follow the strict new Covid-19 vaccine mandates announced yesterday for the City of Los Angeles. The L.A. City Council — in an 11-2 vote — approved a measure that would require all eligible people to show proof of Covid vaccination to ent...

The Montana Avenue Merchants Association will hold its annual Holiday walk again this December. But kids looking for Halloween candy will have to wait til next year.

Montana Avenue Confirms Holiday Walk, Scraps Trick-or-Treating There’s good and bad news coming in from Montana Avenue. The annual Holiday Walk — where merchants pass out cookies, cider (and sometimes even wine) to passersby — will return this year on Saturday, December 4. But kids hoping to score sweet treats on Halloween will have to wait until next Oct...

A west side doctor, almost 60, will represent California in the Ms. Woman United States Pageant next week in Las Vegas.

Meet Dr. Elise Brisco: Single Mom, Boxer, Pageant Queen Local optometrist Dr. Elise Brisco hopes to be crowned Ms. Woman United States next week in Las Vegas.

The OP Cafe has been a staple in Santa Monica since 1979. "I am bummed," owner Mark Verge tells The Sun. "We gave it a great try."

OP Cafe To Close After 40 Years The OP Cafe on Ocean Park Boulevard will close for good on September 26. It has been a mainstay in Santa Monica for 40 years.

Would this be a welcome addition to the community?

Animal Hospital Wants To Replace Pacific Dining Car The Pacific Dining Car — a staple in Santa Monica for 30 years — may soon become a 24 hour veterinary hospital. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, October 12 to consider allowing Veterinary Emergency Group, to take over the storied westside location. VEG currently operates in 27 location...

Photos from the crash scene: One suspect was arrested and another is at large following what began as an armed robbery and carjacking at La Condessa restaurant on Wilshire Blvd. and 15th Street.

Suspect Arrested, Another At Large After Late Night Armed Carjacking (Photos) Crime never sleeps! A late night police chase in Santa Monica led to the capture of one suspect wanted in an armed robbery and carjacking at La Condessa restaurant. The victim is believed to be a valet parking attendant. Eyewitnesses report seeing eight to 10 Santa Monica Police vehicles speeding do...

Famed artist Manfred Müller is fighting to save the beloved installation "Twilight and Yearning" that he gifted to the city in 1998. The city says "conditions have changed" and wants to move it online.

City Wants To Remove Famed Art Installation Under Santa Monica Pier Famed artist Manfred Muller is fighting to save his 23 year-old art installation underneath the Santa Monica Pier.

So far, Coach Daniel has received over $30K in donations via GoFundMe. “If you feel compelled to donate I would greatly appreciate it. I am sure a huge bill is looming over me.” (Link in story)

Beloved Franklin School Coach Suffers Heart Attack While Battling Cancer A beloved coach from Franklin Elementary School has suffered a heart attack and remains hospitalized while undergoing treatment for cancer. Coach Daniel Coleman was diagnosed earlier this year with stage three non small cell lung cancer. He has been receiving a combination of chemotherapy and radiat...

A rock legend is risking his reputation to take a stand against pandemic restrictions. Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton Drops Anti-Vax Anthem As Protestors Descend On Santa Monica Rock and revolt! Eric Clapton — who claims to have suffered an extreme reaction to his COVID-19 vaccine — has dropped a new rant anthem railing against pandemic-related mandates. “This Has Gotta Stop” coincides with a major anti-vax protest near the Santa Monica Pier this weekend. Clapton si...

More than a half dozen students at Lincoln Middle School were severely burned yesterday after being forced to do push ups on scorching hot blacktop in the mid-day sun.

“My daughter told the teacher that her hands were getting burned and she was told to put her hands on the white line and continue,” one eighth grade mother tells The Sun.

Lincoln Middle School Students Burned Doing Required P.E. P.E. class just got too hot to handle! More than a half dozen students at Lincoln Middle School were severely burned yesterday after being forced to do push ups on scorching hot blacktop in the mid-day sun. The 11 to 14 year-olds say at least one teacher, Ms. Gevin Wallace, ignoring repeated pleas t...

EXCLUSIVE: The mother of hit and run victim Justin Thompson-Jamar, who was killed by his longtime friend in front of Busby's bar early Monday, is looking for answers. "I would like to hear what happened. I wish he would talk to me."

Family, Friends Remember Busby's Hit & Run Victim Justin Thompson-Jamar Justin Thompson-Jamar got to visit five of the seven natural wonders of the world before his life came to a tragic end early Monday morning. Today, a memorial shrine featuring travel photos, candles and and dozens of White Claw seltzer cans stands just feet from where the 29 year-old travel enthusia...