Three Calabasas middle school students arrested in ‘ginger assaults’
Three male A.E. Wright Middle School students have been arrested in connection with the so-called “ginger attacks,” instigated by a Facebook message, in which at least seven red-haired children were beaten up at the Calabasas middle school, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
Two 12-year-old students were arrested on suspicion of battery on school property, and a 13-year-old boy was accused of threatening to inflict injury “by means of electronic communication.”
The students were booked Wednesday of last week before being released to the custody of their parents. No court date has been set for their initial appearance at Sylmar Juvenile Hall.
Sheriff’s detectives are continuing to investigate the assaults and have identified eight boys at the school as subjects of the investigation. Authorities believe the attacks were spurred by a Facebook message about “Kick a Ginger Day,” inspired by the television show “South Park.”
The most serious assault left a 12-year-old boy with cuts and bruises. Other children were pushed, shoved and intimidated, authorities said. Many of the victims came forward after the bizarre attacks received media coverage.
In a satirical 2005 episode of “South Park,” one of the characters claimed that people with red hair, light skin and freckles have no souls and suffer from a disease called “Gingervitis.”
Malibu Film Society to host screening of “Irene in Time”
Malibu Film Society on Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue will host a screening of “Irene in Time,” followed by a Q&A with director Henry Jaglom.
Jaglom will discuss the film, together with its star, Tanna Frederick, following the screening at 9 p.m. Frederick is currently starring in the production of Jaglom’s new stage play, “45 Minutes From Broadway,” in its world premiere engagement at the Edgemar Theatre in Santa Monica.
MJC&S is located at 24855 Pacific Coast Highway. More information can be obtained and tickets can be purchased by calling 310.589.0223.
Coastal Commission may delay vote on city’s LCP amendment for one year
The California Coastal Commission at its Dec. 9 meeting in San Francisco will decide whether to grant its staff a one-year extension to review a Local Coastal Plan amendment submitted by the City of Malibu in September.
The City of Malibu seeks to amend the Transfer Development Credit (TDC) provisions of its certified LCP to allow ownership of TDC donor parcels to be transferred to a public entity willing to accept title, and to allow TDC donor parcels to be merged with adjacent buildable lot(s) rather than adjacent already developed lot(s).
On Oct. 5, the commission determined that the city’s amendment submittal was in proper order and legally adequate to comply with the submittal requirements of the Coastal Act. By law, an amendment to the certified LCP must be scheduled for a public hearing and the commission must take action within 90 days of a complete submittal. The 90th day after filing the complete submittal is Jan. 3, 2010.
Commission staff is requesting an extension to the 90-day time limit in order to allow adequate time to review and analyze the amendment. Therefore, staff recommends that the commission extend the 90-day time limit to act on the City of Malibu’s proposed LCP amendment for a period not to exceed one year.
Husband, wife arrested for Agoura Hills bank robbery
A husband and wife were behind bars in Calabasas Tuesday morning on suspicion of robbing an Agoura Hills Bank of America branch, according to a Southern California Public Radio report.
The robbery occurred at approximately 10 a.m. Monday at the Bank of America at 5667 Kanan Road, Lt. Scott Chew of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Malibu/Lost Hills Station stated in a report.
A “lone male” robbed the bank and was last seen walking or running into an apartment complex north of the bank at Kanan Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, according to the Sheriff’s report.
Deputies and detectives located the male suspect in the apartment complex, where he barricaded himself in his apartment. A SWAT team and crisis negotiators were summoned.
The suspect then surrendered. No weapon was recovered and no one was injured in the robbery or the ensuing standoff.
Jerry Carr, 49, was arrested on suspicion of felony bank robbery. His wife, Belinda Jesse, 48, was later arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor accessory charge, according to the Sheriff’s report.
Carr simulated having a weapon during the robbery or had no weapon, the report stated.
Carr’s bail was set at $100,000 while Jesse’s bail was $5,000. Both remained locked up early today at the Malibu/Lost Hills Station in Calabasas.
Getty Villa offers lecture on ‘The Chimaera of Arezzo’
In conjunction with the exhibition, “The Chimaera of Arezzo,” on display at the Getty Villa through Feb. 8, 2010, a free public lecture on Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. by Giovannangelo Camporeale, professor emeritus of Etruscology at the University of Florence, will kick off a weekend exploring the legend and lure of the Chimaera of Arezzo.
Camporeale’s presentation is the annual Ferdinando and Sarah Cinelli Lecture in Etruscan and Italic Archaeology, presented in cooperation with the Archaeological Institute of America and the Etruscan Foundation.
The public lecture will be followed by a two-day scholarly colloquium on Dec. 4 and 5, which brings together an international group of art historians, archaeologists and conservators to discuss the latest research on an extraordinary bronze sculpture. Topics to be explored include the iconography of Bellerophon and the Chimaera in Greece, south Italy, and Etruria; the archaeological context of the Chimaera and its role in Etruscan religion; technology and conservation history; and the sculpture’s reception in Renaissance Florence.
More information can be obtained online at www.getty.edu.
-Olivia Damavandi