Family and friends honor their relatives who loved surfing and the ocean

After the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, siblings Mika and Adam Pomerantz felt hopeless.

The unprecedented assault has promoted anger and grief around the world from family members searching for their relatives.  

In efforts to create awareness and aspire hope, the Pomerantzes organized a paddle out at Surfrider Beach to honor their family and friends in Israel and hope for a safe return.

On Sunday, Nov. 26, more than 50 surfers swam out to Surfrider Beach with flags and flowers in their hands and hope in their hearts. 

“I was born and raised in Israel and as you can imagine, I was deeply affected by the events on Oct. 7. The atrocious acts and lack of humanity on that day were heartbreaking; it created a tear in the world that can only be fixed with the unity of good and what we’re doing here today is exactly that,” Adam Pomerantz said. “On Oct. 7, Eli Baram was one of the 360 innocent people who were murdered while celebrating life at the Nova music festival. He was a special kid who loved life, he did not deserve this, and neither did the 1,400 innocent people who were brutally killed, raped, burned alive, kidnapped, and tortured.”

Pomerantz thanked and welcomed the crowd for attending and shared a few words before heading into the ocean with his surfboard.

“The beautiful souls of Oct. 7 will forever be remembered in honor; that is why we are here today, for them,” Pomerantz said. 

Everyone who participated in the paddle-out gathered in a circle while Pomerantz threw flowers into the ocean as they represented the loss of life, while everyone splashed water as it represented the circle of life.

Pomerantz said when the Oct. 7 attacks happened, he wanted to do something.

“I grew up surfing and said why not join both things —Israel and surfing and thought it would be a great peaceful way to bring people together just to show support because that’s the best thing to do right now,” Pomerantz said.

Pomerantz said all of his friends are serving in the army, and some are facing the attacks in Gaza.

“It’s scary, especially the fact that I was supposed to be there too, so this is the least I can do for them,” Pomerantz said. “I had a close friend who was killed in the Nova festival so it hurts my heart.”

After the paddle out, the crowd lit candles and prayed for all the hostages for a safe return home. 

“I’m really glad that so many people came together; it’s all about love, and that’s what’s going to win at the end of the day,” Pomerantz said. 

Each member in the crowd shed tears as singer Sapir Tzemah serenaded the crowd with a few songs. Tzemah said it’s important to bring awareness by having events like this paddle out.

“I have friends who are there, and my sister went to the [Nova music] festival, thank god she is got out, so it’s really important for us to keep doing these events,” Tzemah said. “When I found out about the paddle out, I thought it was such a unique way to do something for Israel and create a little bit of hope and also do it in a creative way, and it’s also bringing the community together.”

Tzemah said she was surprised to see so much support from the community at the event.

“Everyone knows each other, and everyone is so standing for Israel even though we’re so far away,” Tzemah said. “We raised awareness, we raised money, we raised unity, this is what I loved to see.”

Tzemah came to Los Angeles from Tel Aviv five days before the Oct. 7 event and said her friends are doing OK.

“I understand from all of my friends that it’s kind of crazy, they have a lot of alarms and rockets, so it’s kind of rough, but it’s their reality,” Tzemah said. “It’s kind of a rough time, but I think they are more united than ever.” 

Join fellow alumni, parents, and friends for a holiday reception at the Pepperdine Tree Lighting Ceremony tonight on Friday, December 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. Enjoy holiday desserts and refreshments, as we join together in song and celebration. Most importantly— share precious time with your fellow Waves as we ring in the start of the Christmas season! Your family is welcome to join the festivities, but please make sure to register yourself and your family members.

Location: Pepperdine Malibu Campus  •  Smother’s Lobby
Address: 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu CA 90263

Agenda:

• 5:00 PM – Check-In Opens & Alumni Reception Begins
• 6:00 PM – Tree Lighting Ceremony Begins
• 6:30 PM – Ceremony Approximately Concludes. Re-join us in Smother’s for festive fun!
• 8:00 PM – Reception Concludes in Smother’s Lobby

Parking: Details will be sent to registrants. 

Cost: Complimentary.

Support Pepperdine University: This holiday season, you are invited to give a gift during the registration process which will go directly to Pepperdine’s greatest needs. Your gift provides scholarships, supports exceptional faculty and distinguished speakers, and empowers the University’s strategic priorities.

Please submit accommodation requests to alumni@pepperdine.edu at the time of registration. Advance notice is requested to secure accommodations.

Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station issues bulletin advising residents how to help avoid being a target

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times

On Nov. 11, two West Malibu homes in the Sea Star Drive area were burglarized, with the runaway suspects expeditiously committing the crimes in a fashion suspiciously akin to that used by a vast burglary ring targeting wealthy U.S. households in recent years.

The victims chose not to be identified, but one told The Malibu Times, “We hope we can save other neighbors the heartbreak we’ve experienced, and we also want people to know so that we watch out more closely for one another.”

On Nov. 27, Detective Sgt. Stephen Horton of the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station stated, “With regard to the two West Malibu incidents on Nov. 11, we are not sure if it was the case that such a criminal ring committed them.” 

He explained that was because the three perpetrators were fully covered up, making it impossible to discern their identity. 

“However, those crimes were committed in the modus operandi where criminals go in on the second floor of a home, which often is not on a security alarm.” Horton added.

Although seemingly new to Malibu, such burglaries have been occurring for a few years nationwide, as well as on other continents. Interested readers may wish to review a Vanity Fair article dated Feb. 24, 2022, that one of the Malibu West victims sent to The Malibu Times, titled “Crime Ring — Thieves in the Night: A Vast Burglary Ring From Chile Has Been Targeting Wealthy U.S. Households.”  

The crime gang’s modus operandi described in that article and other media publications aligns with the Malibu victims’ security footage demonstrating how the intruders entered the two West Malibu homes. Video clips show that the trio of perpetrators jumped over the Malibu West homes’ backyard fences, quickly scaled the exterior of the homes, made their way into the second-floor master bedrooms by breaking glass doors — which generally does not trigger a security alarm, and made off with a large amount of cash and expensive, brand-named items such as jewelry, purses, shoes and other valuables.

“The criminals were very professional and they were not messing around,” one victim said. “They knew exactly what they were doing.”  

The suspects, heavily protected by masks and gloves, carried backpacks and a crowbar and entered into master bedrooms by breaking glass near the balcony. 

They swiftly committed their dirty deeds, spending less than 25 minutes in each home. One victim’s security camera captured them entering one home at 6:04 p.m. and ransacking the home. After making their way across an empty construction lot, the criminals broke into a neighbor’s home around 6:23 p.m., where they also committed their crimes with stunning efficiency and speed.  They left the second home at 6:42 p.m. 

The burglars used sophisticated security camera jammers in one home, where they were only seen by one camera.  The other victims’ security system was hard-wired. 

The incidents lead to questions regarding how to protect one’s home, vehicle and self.

Horton discussed what security precautions can be taken by residents. 

“Although cameras are great, the hardwire cameras are better than internet-based security systems because those can be jammed,” he said. 

Installing a security camera system throughout all levels of one’s home is critical to deterring the kind of crime that the suspects in the two Malibu West homes committed, Horton added, noting that using adequate lights throughout a home and the outer environs of one’s property are also enormously helpful. 

In the words of one person hearing the victims’ woes, “Get a dog. A German Shepherd knows how to handle the criminals.”

Horton confirmed another incident on Oct. 12, when a couple in West Malibu was bound up and made to give intruding criminals the code to their safe.

“The way these crews operate, they don’t want confrontation,” Horton said. “In that incident, the suspects found a mostly dark home, entered, and they did not anticipate occupants being there.” 

Although they were confronted by the criminals, Horton wanted to clarify that the couple was not beat up, and said the incident is being investigated by the major crimes unit.

On Nov. 21, the Lost Hills station issued a bulletin noting that with citizens beginning to shop for gifts and holiday supplies, it is wise to keep one’s expensive purchases and other items out of sight in one’s vehicle. Instead, place any such items in the vehicle’s trunk.

Other tips stated in the bulletin:

• If you place packages in your vehicle and plan to go back inside for more shopping, consider driving away from your current parking spot and park somewhere new, so no one knows what valuable items you left unattended.
• Stay vigilant and park in a well-lit area. 
• Avoid shopping alone! Consider shopping with friends or relatives so everyone looks out for each other.
• Neighbors should watch out for neighbors! If you will be staying home or traveling, help keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it to your local law enforcement.  This makes communities safer.
• Let someone you trust know when you’re traveling and have them watch your house and retrieve any newspapers and collect your mail. 

Residents can stay informed about safety precautions to use and crimes that have occurred by following the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on social media. The Malibu Times will keep readers informed about whether the investigators determine who committed the three West Malibu crimes.   

GoFundMe account created to directly support the victims’ families with funeral costs

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times

With the senseless deaths of four Pepperdine students on October 17 in the 21500 block of Pacific Coast Highway, fellow student Thomas Monthofer, a grieving friend of the victims, spearheaded an effort to place four white crosses atop a hill on campus to honor the memories of Niamh Rolston, 20; and Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams, all 21. All the victims were seniors set to graduate and sorority sisters with Pepperdine’s Alpha Phi chapter. That all changed when a driver lost control of his vehicle and slammed into several parked cars, which then struck the girls.

Right after the students’ deaths, Pepperdine President James Gash issued a statement striving to, in some way, help begin to assuage the pain being experienced by the Pepperdine and Malibu community. Monthofer’s efforts to erect four white crosses in memory of the students exemplified Gash’s loving, comforting admonition, with the president saying Monthofer “harnessed the strength found in the bonds of friendship and the community that unites us.”

Monthofer started a GoFundMe effort, and he and his fraternity, Sigma Chi, hosted a philanthropy week to honor the students by giving their utmost support to the families. “Derby Days,” as they called it, was a week-long event to raise money to construct a monument next to the large white cross on the hill with plaques and four crosses bearing the victims’ names. 

Doing so, the GoFundMe effort stated, will provide “a way for friends and loved ones to remember them, visit them, and pray for them.”  The effort also stated that funds raised would “provide donations directly to the victims’ families to aid with funeral costs and legal bills involved.” Finally, the Go Fund Me page stated, “In order to make Pacific Coast Highway safer, we are attempting to adopt a stretch of the highway and (we are) pushing for speed cameras, rumble strips, and more.”

To see the GoFundMe page, go to gofundme.com/f/our-4-angels-niamh-asha-peyton-and-deslyn  

The tradition of placing white crosses on a hill atop began with another senseless tragedy that befell a Pepperdine student. Liam Staats, a member of Sigma Chi, Pepperdine chapter, placed the original cross on the hill to honor victim Alaina Housley, another Pepperdine student whose life was cut short in the Borderline Bar & Grill mass shooting on Nov. 7, 2018. 

Subsequently, the name of Pepperdine student Dev Singh was added after he passed away on Nov. 4, 2021 in a hit-and-run traffic collision. At that time, those remembering Singh said in a tribute that expresses the sentiments of those grieving the four women students who were killed on the PCH this year, “Your presence we miss, your memories we treasure, Loving you always, forgetting you never.” 

Amnesty offered to teens involved 

An accessible and inclusive children’s playground dedicated to first responders that was damaged by a group of teenage skateboarders is in the process of being repaired. Now the owner of the shopping center where it’s located is asking the youths responsible to step up and apologize.

“It’s important for us at that property, as a community hub to keep it clean and safe,” said Steve Soboroff, the developer of The Park at Cross Creek.

Playground equipment was broken by skateboarders at the property on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 5:30 p.m. At least six skateboarders were caught on surveillance.

“When we decided to build the playground there, the community said, ‘We’d really like you to dedicate it to people we care about: sheriff’s, firefighters and lifeguards.’” Soboroff said about the themed playground, which has play structures featuring a police car, fire truck, and a lifeguard tower. “We went further. There are a number of special needs kids in the greater Malibu area, but there wasn’t a playground that special needs kids could use for 15 miles around. We did that there. It’s been widely accepted as one of America’s beautiful playgrounds and is very, very busy with kids with and without special needs. They all play together. It’s really wonderful.”

Soboroff sighed and stated, “There’s a lot of big problems in the world, in our country, and in Malibu today. Some of our friends are at war. You would think there’d be better things to do for a group of kids with all this energy, teenagers from our community, than to skateboard and break things in a playground built for special needs kids that’s dedicated to first responders in Malibu. Get a grip man. Do something else. It irritates me.”

Security cameras, 28 in all, captured the teens in time-stamped images. Soboroff, a former LA police commissioner, claims this is not the first time this group has been captured digitally. 

“This time we got really clear photos,” he said. “We know who they are.” And he would like their parents to know too.

But, the property owner is offering amnesty under one condition — an apology. 

“I think one of two things should happen here. These kids should apologize and learn a little life lesson,” Soboroff said. “You know, it’s no problem; a lot of people do dumb things. If they don’t, I believe I should turn all the information over to the Sheriff’s Department.”

Soboroff stated that if he did receive an apology from the skateboarders, he would not press charges or even seek reimbursement for fixing the damage to the playground.

“It’s a life lesson. Whether you’re in Malibu, East L.A., or South L.A., wherever you are, these kids can do a lot of good,” he said. “There are homeless. They can feed people. They can get involved with charities. They can do all kinds of stuff. Skateboarding in a special needs kids’ playground is ridiculous.”

Most of the damage has been quickly repaired. 

Soboroff, who can often be seen picking up trash or tending to various needs at The Park at Cross Creek, the shopping center he developed, said, “I can’t have that playground be down.” 

Soboroff stated he didn’t want any child to play on broken structures intended for the development of sensory motor skills. 

“There are little picnic tables intended for special needs kids and they skateboard down those and snap them,” he said. 

New tables made specially for this playground have been ordered. Not only was playground equipment broken, but damage from skateboarding was caused to chairs near the playground intended for adult supervisors.

Years ago, the multi-millionaire Soboroff donated $25,000 to the city of Malibu for the construction of a new skate park after the shopping center displaced the old Papa Jack’s skate park. 

“Look, skateboarding is fun. I’ll do it with them,” he said. “I’ll buy them dinner, but I won’t let them skateboard on a special needs kids’ playground. I will not allow it. And neither should their parents.”

Soboroff says he will forgive any kid who was involved in the latest vandalism. He can be reached at (310) 451-9877.  

“I promise I’m not going to do anything,” he said. “I’m going to accept their apology and invite me and I’ll go skateboarding with them, but what I’m not going to do is let this stuff go on. I’d like to harness this energy for the good of people in Malibu, not for the bad. If this can teach a lesson to a 13-year-old then it’s a good thing. I think it’s an important life lesson. Call me.”

Councilmember Silverstein receives minimal support to bring back the local emergency addressing PCH safety 

Vendors, farmers, and long-time residents who enjoy the Malibu Farmers Market attended Monday night’s meeting to advocate for its stay at Legacy Park. 

The license agreement issued by LA County to Cornucopia expired on Dec. 30, 2022, and Cornucopia has since been operating its weekly farmers’ market on the City of Malibu-owned Legacy Park, adjacent to the County Parking Lot, under a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) issued to Cornucopia by the City of Malibu.

Debra Bianco, co-founder of The Cornucopia Foundation, was among the members of the public speaking at the meeting to urge the city to keep the market at Legacy Park.

“We served you during the fires, when the smoke was out, our vendors were there,” Bianco said. “We can’t go back there [Malibu Library Parking lot], we don’t have enough space.”

The farmers market is a tradition for many residents, and visitors and vendors say it’s a place where they can support sustainable agriculture.

“It is a very lovely event that happens in our community every week, it’s a gathering of people, it’s a very soulful, beautiful reality that I have not seen elsewhere in this community,” John G. said at the meeting. “People are admiring that park; it’s not anything like it, and it’s not replaceable, but that park and that spirit of what happens there and it’s very real, and if you go there, you will absolutely feel it. You [City Council] have the power to sustain that and I hope that you do.” 

Speakers shared their concerns with the unhoused individuals living at the park, saying they’re afraid to go into the park. 

“Finally, for the first time since the purchase, people are falling in love with it solely due to the farmers market,” speaker Anne said. “Residents had to fight to keep their farmers market open for over a decade, everyone is burned out, it should not be a fight, we’re begging if we could work this out.”

Former mayor Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner also shared his support for the farmers market.

“As you can see by how many people came this evening, this is a real asset to the community, it brings the community together,” Wagner said. “I know you folks can figure it out; you have the capability; there are five wise people up there; make it happen for your community.”

Organizers started a Facebook account titled “Transparency Malibu,” with documents, videos, and over 30 letters submitted to the city to keep the Malibu Farmer Market at Legacy Park. 

Bianco said the market was fined $6,000 for public health violations.

“When the city fines Nobu for partially closing PCH, they get a fine and that’s it; it’s like nothing happened,” Bianco said. “We’re not blocking traffic, and we’re getting charged more.”

In addition to the fine, Bianco said the Board of Health will not allow new vendors to sell in their market and said the person who needs to approve it is the city manager. 

After public comment, City Manager Steve McClary responded to the comments made about the farmers market. 

“Nobody from the city or city staff is trying to harm the market or stop the market from operating in any way shape or form,” he said. “I myself have been to the market on several occasions and I agree that the setting that it’s at right now is beloved by all and it makes a great spot for the market. I don’t think anyone is denying that at all, and I also want to point out that the city has put a lot of efforts to work with the market and assist the market.”

McClary said the city has tried to help the market by waving fees, which totaled over $34,000 to date. 

“The issues with Legacy Park is the deed restrictions that are placed on it, as well as the zoning of the property as well,” he said. 

McClary said they’ve been very responsive but have not been hearing back from the organizer. 

“We’re more than willing to work with the market and the organizer to find any type of solution that we can, but as I explained, the issue is with the deed restriction and the zoning on the property,” he said. 

Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Soderlund provided a brief report on traffic and speeding and said with the increase in enforcement, the department issued 120 citations, 10 arrests, and towed 10 vehicles. 

Soderlund said they arrested two 20-year-olds racing on PCH and Topanga Canyon. 

“The driver of the Corvette had rented the vehicle an hour and a half prior and came out to Malibu,” Soderlund said. “Both those vehicles were impounded for 30 days and they were arrested for reckless driving.”

Councilmember Bruce Silverstein asked for a consensus to bring back the declaration on the local emergency to address PCH safety the city issued after the fatal incident on Oct. 17.

On Nov. 13, the Malibu City Council declared a Local Emergency, aimed at addressing the risks to public safety of dangerous, illegal, reckless, and/or distracted driving on Pacific Coast Highway in the city. The action was in response to the tragic deaths of four Pepperdine students who were struck by parked cars hit by a speeding motorist on PCH.

Parents of the victims spoke during public comment and asked the council to continue their efforts to make PCH safe.

“They’re advocating this too, and we owe it to them, we owe it to our residents, we owe it to the people who visit this city,” Silverstein said. 

Mayor Steve Uhring was the only other council member who supported the consensus.

“I’m disappointed with my fellow council people; we said at the PCH Taskforce meeting since those four girls died on PCH, we committed to do anything and everything we could to make PCH safe; our job is to make it safe,” Uhring said. “Whether Bruce’s recommendations is going to help us solve that, I don’t know, but I think it’s criminal for us not to try.”

To view the rest of the items addressed in the meeting, visit https://www.malibucity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/6396?fileID=55597.

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Dec. 11 at the Council Chambers.