A bronze plaque at a historic Manhattan Beach park was stolen by thieves in a string of crimes targeting valuable metals in public spaces. The plaque, located at Bruce's Beach Park, disappeared on Monday, Jan. 29 after being installed less than a year ago in February 2023. The large plaque is made of bronze and details the historic and cultural significance of the site for the Black community. Thieves looking to sell the plaque for financial gain are only focused on the worth of metals such as bronze, copper and brass.  “With the plaque being gone now, it really is adding insult to injury ..read more

Loved ones are devastated after a young man was found shot to death at a New Year’s Eve party in Manhattan Beach. The victim, Andrei Gianan, 24, was found lying on the street on the 1400 block of 11th Street in the early morning hours of Jan. 1. Known as “Nico” to his friends, he was described as a good kid with a generous heart.  “I'm still in disbelief at this point,” said Frank Gianan, Nico’s father. “I really don't know how to move on. There are no words for a father to lose his son.” Nico went out to a party in Manhattan Beach on New Year’s Eve. The details leading up to the shooting ..read more

A vigil was held Friday night to honor a Manhattan Beach motorcycle officer who was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on the 405 Freeway in Carson. Hundreds of loved ones and community members gathered at the Manhattan Beach Civic Center Plaza to remember fallen officer Chad Swanson, 35. The deadly crash, which involved four vehicles, occurred on Oct. 4 around 5:15 a.m. on the northbound 405 Freeway near East Del Amo Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.  During the crash, Swanson was struck and ejected off his motorbike, authorities said. He was taken to a local hospital w ..read more

A man and woman apparently pretending to be customers at a Manhattan Beach jewelry store stole several expensive pieces in a distraction theft that was caught on camera late last month. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. June 28 at By Musti Fine Jewelry, the store manager told KTLA. Video shows the two suspects walk around the store as the manager, Seta, showed them several pieces. At one point, Seta left one of the display cases slightly ajar and turned to look at another one when the woman made her move, grabbing a pouch that contained five diamond bracelets, while the man distracted the ma ..read more

Strong winds swept through the South Bay region of Los Angeles County overnight, toppling several large trees and causing isolated power outages. A tall eucalyptus tree came crashing down onto cars Tuesday evening outside the Pacific Lanai Apartments in Manhattan Beach. One of the owners of the complex says he was renovating an apartment unit around 10 p.m. when he heard a loud boom. “I was very surprised and wanted to know what was going on,” Chris Petrusky told KTLA. “I’ve lived here for 30 years and have never seen wind like this in Manhattan Beach.” No injuries were reported. A tall eucaly ..read more

Police are searching for a teenage girl who disappeared in Manhattan Beach Tuesday afternoon. The missing girl, 13-year-old Brianna Lopez, was last seen walking away from her home near the 1600 block of Artesia Blvd. around 3:30 p.m. Missing teen Brianna Lopez in a photo provided by Manhattan Beach police. Lopez is described as a Hispanic female standing 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 100 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black v-neck sweater, khaki camouflage pants and white tennis shoes. Anyone who has seen Lopez or knows of her whereabouts is asked to ..read more

One person was injured after a cement truck crashed into a Manhattan Beach home Wednesday morning. The incident was reported around 10:50 a.m. in the Strand area of the beachside community, according to the Manhattan Beach Fire Department. Aerial video from Sky5 showed the load of the truck on its side while the front was partially inside the home. One injury has been reported. Tow trucks were working to get the crashed vehicle out of the area. No further details about the incident have been released ..read more

A 6-to-8-foot shark was spotted off the shore of Manhattan Beach Friday afternoon, but the predator soon swam back out to sea without endangering anyone. The man-sized fish was spotted just before 5 p.m. in the water near El Porto Beach by a lifeguard and two surfers, according to Jake Miller, an ocean lifeguard specialist with the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division. No aggressive behavior was reported, and swimmers and surfers in the area were notified of the creature's presence, according to Miller and the Lifeguard Division's Twitter account. The shark has since moved out ..read more

Los Angeles County officials on Wednesday presented the deed to prime California oceanfront property the heirs of a Black couple who built a beach resort for African Americans but were harassed and finally stripped of the land nearly a century ago. The event marked the final step in a complex effort to address the long-ago wrong suffered by Charles and Willa Bruce, entrepreneurs whose resort on the shore of the now-upscale city of Manhattan Beach was known as Bruce's Beach. Against the backdrop of waves washing onto the sunny Manhattan Beach shoreline, county Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan hand ..read more

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to return ownership of prime California beachfront property to descendants of a Black couple who built a resort for African Americans but were stripped of the land in the 1920s. The board voted 5-0 on a motion to complete the transfer of parcels in an area once known as Bruce’s Beach in the fashionable city of Manhattan Beach that is now the site of the county’s lifeguard training headquarters and its parking lot. Board chair Holly J. Mitchell, co-author of the motion, immediately signed the documents which allow the county to lease bac ..read more