FRIDAY 5PM UPDATE:  Malibu Speed Camera Bill Advances To Gov’s Desk

Murder Along Highway 1 In Oxnard Connected To 2nd Killing In Camarillo

A murder on Highway 1 … at the northern end of Pacific Coast Highway … near Oxnard. 

A man inside a car reportedly slashed 2 people … and killed one them … on Rice Avenue at Channel Islands Boulevard … the northern end of the PCH Freeway near Point Mugu.

This is 21 miles west of Malibu … at about 1 yesterday afternoon.

While deputies closed off the north end of PCH to investigate the murder … at 5 p-m a man walked into the Camarillo police station to say he had been pistol whipped at a condo in the 3400 block of Huerta Court in Camarillo,.  Ventura County sheriff’s deputies serve as Camarillo police.

When deputies arrived, they found the 42-year-old Alvin Otis Johnson with a gun in his hand. After arresting him, they walked inside and found a 75-year-old woman with significant injuries. She died at a nearby hospital. 

Deputies also found the woman’s 78-year-old husband with injuries … and a 47-year-old woman with minor injuries.

Steve McClary’s Job Performance Is Subject Of Tuesday Morning City Council Meeting

Malibu’s city council has suddenly called a special meeting to discuss the employment review for city manager Steve McClary.

It’s not clear if there is trouble … or if this is routine.

It is somewhat unusual for a special city council to be called to discuss the city manager’s job performance … unless there 

McClary was appointed by a 4 to 1 vote of the city council in April 2021. 

After two years … he was given the permanent job.

But he’s still serves as an at will employee… and could be dismissed at any time if the city council chooses to buy out his contract.

The meeting next Wednesday was announced late yesterday.

The public may speak before the city Council goes behind closed doors… That will be at 10:30 in the morning Wednesday.

The council will evaluate Steve McClary’s performance… And will then negotiate with him.

The cities negotiator will be Trevor Russon himself working day today with the title of interim city attorney after more than four years.

As for McClary … he formerly worked as assistant city manager for Camarillo and the city manager for Ojai. McClary started his career in local government in Fillmore in 1997. 

McClary has been working for a badly fractured Malibu city government structure… where several top employees have fled what is widely described as a dysfunctional government in a city filled with self-entitled and demanding constituents.

Homeless Man Commits Gross Sex Act On Sunbather At SM Pier, Latest In Sick Attacks

A woman laying in the sun near the Santa Monica Pier had a gross attack by a homeless person.

Santa Monica police say the woman was sexually assaulted by a man who suddenly plopped down on top of her and began overt sexual activity.

She screamed for help … her sister pushed the obviously homeless person away … he ran … Lifeguards ran over to help the woman … as there suspect ran down the beach.

Santa Monica police arrested cops caught him down the beach.

Alonzo Dickson was arrested for suspicion of felony Sexual Battery with Restraint.

Dickson is awaiting trial for some sort of alleged crime in Washington state.

He was described as a 25-year-old homeless individual.

It’s the latest in a string of sexual assaults on children or women on the beach in Santa Monica this summer.

Malibu’s Homeless Policy Not Changed Because LA County Controls The Cops And The Jails

Malibu’s homeless outreach program  has not changed in the past few months … despite a change in the law from the United States Supreme Court.

In a report to the city public safety commission… Malibu says our city will not arrest people merely for the act of being homeless.  the Supreme Court has given California municipalities the authority to do exactly that.

“The Supreme Court ruling does not change the City’s approach,” says Malibu Public Safety Director Susan Duenas. She said the City will continue “its proactive, service-driven approach that strategically bridges outreach and enforcement while considering its impacts on the community.”

Malibu deputies plan to clear homeless persons, including the encampment that has sprouted in the Civic Center area.   Sheriff’s deputies have said those people have been sleeping on the county courthouse property, which is controlled by the Board of Supervisors, and that board will not authorize arrests. 

In a memo issued this week, Duenas said “there will be no significant change in the Sheriff’s Department response pending further direction from the Board of Supervisors, County Counsel, and Sheriff Robert Luna. 

“While deputies may be able to cite for illegal camping, this is a ‘cite and release’ offense under Los Angeles County’s ‘Zero Bail’ policy. 

“If individuals are found camping or sleeping in their car or elsewhere, they can be cited and asked to move along, but they will most likely not be physically arrested or forcefully removed unless they are also committing another serious crime,” Duenas wrote.

The course of action always depends on the specific situation and is handled on a case-bycase basis.”
Duenas wrote that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order to clear campsites fro public property, does not impact Malibu.

“The order directs state agencies and departments to adopt policies and plans consistent with the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) existing encampment policy. 

“Caltrans’ policy prioritizes encampments that pose a threat to the life, health, and safety of the community, provides advance notice of clearance, works with local service providers to support those experiencing homelessness at the encampment, and stores personal property collected at the site for at least 60 days.”

Duenas said the City staff and the Sheriff’s Department provide a posted notice that allows 72 hours for an individual to vacate a public property encampment, during which the city’s social workers engage in outreach services.

After that, any encampment is cleared.  Any belongings and debris left on the premises are disposed of. 

Anything deemed to be of great importance or to have confidential information (i.e., personal records, sleeping bags, medication) is held at City Hall, allowing the individual to retrieve it at a later time before being disposed of.

The matter will be discussed at the next Malibu public safety commission meeting, from 5 to 7 PM next Wednesday.

The Public Safety Commission meetings are no longer streamed on the city website. 

SuperScoopers Back In LA Skies, A Legacy To A Channel 5 Anchorman Who Died In 2007

It’s the end of August … and that means some big yellow birds are migrating down from Canada for the fall fire season. 

We’re talking about the big yellow Superscoopers … the flock of four firefighting airplanes owned by the province of Quebec. 

The yellow seaplanes can skim a lake or the ocean … load 16 hundred gallons of water in 12 seconds … and fly off to nearby fire fronts. 

As the summer wildfire season wind down in Canada… Quebec leases four superscoopers to Los Angeles county fire.

Here… they become part of the unified command that fights fires in Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange counties.

The super scoopers were brought into Los Angeles County over the objections of some of the pilots at LA County fire who were advocating for helicopter fire gear.

Los Angeles television anchor Hal Fishman campaigned hard for the superscoopers… and broke his news only format to editorialize for them.

On channel 5, Fishman convinced the Board of Supervisors that a mix of helicopters and super scoopers made sense.

Hal Fishman died in 2007 … his legacy lives on with the four yellow Superscooprs … now returning to their airbase in L-A fo the fall fire season.