2 Cop Chases Crisscross Malibu Wednesday

Not one … but two police chases through Malibu Wednesday … almost at the same time.

Heading east on PCH …a transient who kidnapped his wife from a Civic Center parking lot.

Heading west … a stolen delivery truck full of washing machines from Lowe’s.

The delivery truck got the attention of the LA TV News choppers.

LAPD gave up on the chase when they hit our fair city … but the news choppers tracked all the way to Camarillo … and then back towards LA on the 101 freeway.

The driver got into a road rage incident with another driver … in a Mister Tire truck.

A bumper thumbing duel on the 101.

The delivery truck eventually went back to Ventura.

CHP officer Jorge Alfaro told KCAL News what happened next,.

NEWSCART B70161 SPIKE STRIP

“Our officers were able to successfully deploy a spike strip and spike the left front tire of the vehicle.

“As the pursuit continued through the City of Ventura, ultimately the driver lost control, and when the pursuit terminated the subject not want to get out of the vehicle.

“So our officers employed a use of to break out the window.”

A beanbag rifle was used to break out the windows, and the suspect made a run for it on foot.

The suspect was tackled and arrested in the ice plant next to the freeway just west of the Santa Clara River Bridge in Ventura.

Meanwhile back in Malibu … sheriff’s deputies had the kinpappng chase heading down the coast.

Sheriff’s Sgt Chris Soderlund.

NEWSCART B70160 KIDNAP CS 

“We had a pursuit of a kidnapping suspect from the Ralph’s parking lot to Santa Monica.

“As he was running red lights, through the city of Santa Monica, we had to cancel that pursuit.

“It was a transient who had kidnapped his wife.

Since they have his name … and arrest warrant is out.

 

LA County Rejects Malibu Attorney’s Plan to Carve Up Santa Monica’s Voting Rights

As predicted … a Malibu attorney’s efforts to slice up Santa Monica to give Malibu two seats on the local school board went down in flames yesterday. 

The LA County Committee that handles school district maps and voting turned down the partition from school activist Jennifer DeNicola and her attorney … Kevin Shenkman.

Some of the committee. Members said they sympathized with Malibu voters .. and it appears a majority of the committee would approve voting by area over the current at large voting system.

But not if it unfairly targeted Santa Monica and gave Malibu an unfair edge … they said.

Committee Member Estefan Castaneda:

NEWSCART B70166 MAPS ESTEFANY CASTANEDA

“Right now we have Malibu that just has around 15,000 people – that would only make one district area.

“And to give them two,  and break up and split up the community I think would be most inconsiderate to those who are there within those school boundaries.”

It was nearly a unanimous vote … only one vote in favor of the plan that would gave given Malibu dominance over two board seats … and put chunks of two parts of Santa Monica into those Malibu heavy voting areas.

Committee members told the two cities to come back with a voting by area plan that guarantees Malibu one seat at the table … to match its size of slightly over one seventh of the district population. 

Shenkman has already filed a demand with the school district that it come up with some sort of vote by area plan. 

Of course … all of this is just a prelude to the coming vote by the committee on a request to divorce out of the Santa Monica district for good.

The divorce has been on hold while everyone was dealing with the vote by area petition. 

Leading to the question … why did the Malibu vote by area plan move forward?

The answer may be … lawyers … eager to earn fees from filing lawsuits. 

 

City Manager Tells Commission Members: You Do Not Speak For The City – If News Media Contacts You, Refer Them To The Mayor

Malibu’s public safety commissioners have been gently slapped by the city manager for being interviewed by L A TV stations during the storms.

Two public safety commissioners … Josh Spiegel and Chris Frost … were standing on the side of Pacific Coast Highway last weekend .

Both were identified as city public safety commission members by crews from Channel 5 and Channel 7.

Both made rather obvious and mundane observations on camera … 

The city had come through the storms without any major problems … and that city county and state road crews had done a pretty good job.

Big deal …. Right?

It was a big deal to someone at City Hall.

A memo went out yesterday. … warning all city commissioners that they are not to speak as a city representative … ever. 

Only the mayor … or the city council .. or the city manager can speak to reporters ion behalf of the city. 

All news media inquiries should be promptly referred to the city council or city manager.

Don’t speak to the public on behalf of the city in any official capacity … except when referring to actions and decisions made during a public meeting. 

In other words … if a TV news crew is standing in the rain covering a storm in Malibu … city commissioners who are out observing conditions are not allowed to identify themselves as city commissioners … to talk to the public. 

In his memo … McClary says this gag order is important to building trust and effectively managing the city’s image.

The reaction at last night’s Public Safety Commission was not good.

Chris Frost has been talking freely with reporters for 20 years.

NEWSCART B70164 GAG CF

“The policy that is in place is maybe a little bit antiquated, because it has been around for 20 or 25 years and nobody even knew about it. 

“So maybe it needs to be rewritten.” 

Frost’s comments were not approved in advance by the city’s PR department. 

 

Traffic Concerns About Food Trucks Spark City Investigation

LA sheriff’s deputies are worried that the city does not have any rules about food trucks.

Sgt Chris Soderlund … at last night’s city public safety commission:

NEWSCART B701632 VEND SCHOOL CS

“They could pull up in front of Webster Elementary and start vending there if they wanted to right now.

“Unless the city says ‘no you can’t vend in certain areas’which is there ultimate goal that we wanted to talk about.”

And the food trucks that set up on the overlook above PCH … on city property … there are no rules about that.

The Public Safety Commission last night voted to look into writing rules for food trucks.

Public Safety Director Susan Duenas said last night … she wants to know if there is a problem in the first place.

NEWSCART B70165 FOODTRUCKS SD 

“That’s why we’re here talking to find out you know what is what is the problem?

“Do we need something new or different to address it or is it just a matter of enforcing what we already have? “

The Sheriff’s Sergeant then whipped out his cellphone … and said … it’s a problem.

A picture of a swarm of three food trucks …. dozens of lunchtime customers crowding up t the white stripe along PCH near the old Christmas Tree lot on Point Dume. 

NEWSCART B70163 TRUCKS CROWD CS

“So imagine you are a bicyclist trying to ride down there highway and you have to go into the middle of the roadway to avoid these food trucks there … because they’re parking literally on the edge of a fog line right there.”

State laws do not allow cities to ban food trucks … or inordinately hassle them.

There is a longstanding ban against selling items from a state highway … but that only covers the roadside … not vacant places next to the highway.

City staff is now going to do some research. … and come back with an ordinance. 

 

TMZ Blows It On Nobu/Malibu Coincidence

A celebrity collision at Nobu last week.

No injuries … except to TMZ.

The website reported that Kansas City star Travis Kelce “was not lonely without Taylor Swift” as he was at dinner together with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.

TMZ even referenced Kelce and McCaffrey “bro-ing out” at Nobu Malibu. 

Only one problem.

The two football players died not even know the other was in the premises.

On his podcast … Kelce called TMZ “effin ridiculous.”

The mayor of Malibu had no comment.