Do you need cleanup work done? A local man who has been homeless, but is very responsible and is eager to work is looking for a job. Unlike many in Venice, he truly did just hit hard times and has done everything possible to stay away from the seedy side of Venice while living on the street as he transitions to work and housing. He does not use any drugs or alcohol. He has no lofty aspirations, he is just looking for steady work, and will work as a bus boy and/or general labor to earn his way up.A local business person offered to help, but never came through which has really been heartbreaking as the words spoken to myself, the homeless man and the local police took them to be true and he relied on the offer, but he isn’t giving up. If you have any work that needs to be done, shoot me an email and I will arrange a meeting.

Let’s see if our community actually can help one of the few who really does want to work and help themselves out of homelessness.

Big thanks to @GregAgnewLA and @misterdna for the photos of this confusing-looking 4 car piler at Abbot Kinney and Woodlawn. Bummer.

Photo courtesy of KTLA

Your friendly neighborhood bomb maker had his bail increased from $500,000 to $2.5 million today. As mentioned in the video news story below from KTLA, his defense is going to have to convince the court that he had NO intention of exploding the myriad of bombs and explosive devices he had in his possession. I am sure he was just using them as fragrance sachets in his sock drawer. Also shown in the video are his “pipe bomb gigante” sized explosives. Go big… and go to jail.

Are you concerned about marijuana use in the teens of the Venice community, and would like to have a voice on a community council that will help develop and implement an educational campaign for parents and other adults?

Join The Bridge Project’s first meeting
Thursday May 23rd at 1:00 p.m.
Please RSVP at bridgeproject@publicstrategies.org

or call us at (310)215-9924 ext 134

This is NOT a debate about the legality of marijuana. Substance abuse that starts during the teen years can result in problems and challenges that can plague a person their entire lives.

This morning at around 7 a.m. a call came into CHP from a cell phone ( when you call 911 from a cell it is always routed to CHP ) with the 19 yr old caller stating he was going to go to his english class and shoot himself. Multiple addresses were given and on callback the suspect said Santa Monica College… so there you go. Several schools in the area have been targeted with similar calls today.

Have you seen Torie? If so please contact us at alex@venice311.org . She is 48 and according to info from a family member she has slid into mental illness and may be living in a carport by Venice Pier on Washington. Thanks Venice!

Robert Colton Wilson was booked today as the Culver City Bomber. He was pulled over last night at Venice and Glendon for having expired tags. LAPD found Meth, a loaded handgun and an IED made out of a Gatorade bottle in his vehicle. The subsequent search of his apartment yielded 17+ bombs that LAPD spent most of the afternoon detonating. He was booked and is being held on $500,000 bail.

The FBI is taking over the investigation.

As far as him being a “normal” seeming guy… there is NOTHING normal about this.

Here is the audio starting with the traffic stop:

Check this out on Chirbit

UPDATE: LAPD is currently detonating the several of the explosives found in the suspects home.  The suspect is described by LAPD as a “Lone Wolf” and is not related to terrorism in any way…. he just loves bombs! Following is the audio starting with the initial traffic stop at 10:19 p.m…. and many of the subsequent calls.

Just goes to show… pull someone over for expired tags… you never know what you are going to get.

 
Check this out on Chirbit

Last night at 10;19 p.m. LAPD made a routine traffic stop on a vehicle at Venice and Glendon. The driver was detained and the bomb squad was called as the vehicle was full of suspicious materials.

This morning LAPD made entry to a building on the 3800 block of Overland supposedly related to the suspect and multiple pipe bombs were found. The bomb squad is clearing the area. More to come. Per @culvercity311 a pipe bomb was detonated by Jack in the Box several months ago.

An outrigger canoe overturned today at approximately 7:45 PM, throwing 6 people into the water. Sheriff’s Marine Patrol responded with LACO Fire boat 110, Baywatch del Rey and a USCG Airship. Deputies were able to rescue all 6 victims from the water. The victims were treated for hypothermia and transported to Marina del Rey Sheriff’s Station.
Contact Information:
White, Bryan L.
Marina Del Rey Station
310-482-6031
B2White@lasd.org

The Los Angeles Fire Department and the Westchester YMCA invite you to the

2013 Community Preparedness Fair!

Saturday May 18, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: Westchester Family YMCA – Annex Parking Lot (8020 Alverstone Avenue, LA 90045.  It’s the backside of the YMCA in our overflow parking lot.  For reference, the Y is located at 8015 S. Sepulveda – cross street is 80th, event is 3 blocks north of Manchester.)

Events include:

Fire Apparatus:

• Fire Trucks
• Rescue Ambulances
• Heavy Rescue Truck

Information Booths:

• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
• Earthquake/Disaster Preparedness

Demonstrations:

• Jaws of Life
• Heavy Rescue Equipment
• Fire Extinguisher

Special Guest:

• First Responders from the 9/11 World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina
• LAFD Captain Alfred Poirier – Commander of Fire Station 5

Learn first hand from your local firefighters about:

• Disaster Preparedness
• Home Safety Tips and How to Develop a Family Safety Plan
• Building an Emergency/Disaster Safety Kit
• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

Meet your neighbors and learn important disaster preparedness info that saves lives!