5 Shootings In Malibu Canyon – What Was Law Response?
Written by 991KBU on June 26, 2018
We start this morning with a question.
How did the network of five police agencies that patrol the Malibu Canyon area react to the series of reports of shootings in the Malibu Creek State Park Area over the past year and a half?
These shootings may or may not be related … but a man was murdered in the canyon last week …
And law enforcement officials had been notified of a string of people and cars shot in the area.
This comes as Irvine biologist Tristan Beaudette’s family comes to grips with his murder … in a tent … last Thursday night or Friday morning.
Another camper tells the L-A Times that he was shot at close range … while camping in Tapia Park … also in Malibu Canyon … last November.
James Rogers told the L-A Times that he was hit by buckshot … a blast of pellets … and not just one big slug.
He needed surgery to remove the many pellets that struck him.
He told The Times he heard a loud bang … then felt a burning sensation in his arm … and fell out of his camping hammock.
Rogers told The Times said he was not sleeping in a formal campground and was about 200 yards from Malibu Canyon Road when he was shot in his right arm.
But he told law enforcement about the incident …. and even offered to help set up wildlife surveillance cameras to help seek any serial shooter.
A van was also shot by buckshot … in the canyon … last year.
That comes in addition to the Simi Valley woman whose hatchback car was hit by a large shotgun bullet — called a slug — 18 months ago.
And apparently a car was shot on Malibu Canyon Road a week ago.
The front hood
At the request of L-A news reporters … the sheriff’s office yesterday issued a statement.
They say they are aware of the other shootings … but nothing else new was releasedabout the murder case.
There is no word … however … on whether law enforcement presence was increased as a result of the shootings.
Or .. if it was coordinated.
The Santa Monica Mountains are patrolled by a crazy quilt of law enforcement.
Deputies from the L-A County sheriff’s office … handle general law enforcement.
The California Highway Patrol is in charge of traffic ….
And the parks are patrolled by armed police-slash-park rangers from three agencies … National Park Service … State Parks … and the MRCA.
There was no word if any coordinated surveillance operation or patrols were conducted by the five police agencies.
There certainly was no word issued to the public about the rash of shootings.
As for Tristan Beaudette …. the young father of two little girls who was murdered last week … more than 110 thousand dollars has been raised for his family.
His death has been felt across the state … in Berkeley where he excelled at the university …. In Fresno where he grew up … and in Irvine … where his wife was finishing her medical training.
