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August 22 - August 28, 2025 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
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LAPD Seeks Additional Victims in Venice, Santa Monica Sexual Assault Case Detectives have identified three victims but believe others may exist
Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations West Bureau, Special Assault Section, are seeking additional victims and witnesses in a series of sexual assaults reported in Venice and Santa Monica, involving a suspect who allegedly drugged and assaulted men after meeting them at bars.
In January, a 24-year-old man reported that 42-year-old Jean Junior Dar, also known as Jean-Que or “Que,” drugged and sexually assaulted him. Two other men in their mid-20s reported similar incidents, stating they met Dar at a bar, where he invited them to an after-party at his residence near Marina del Rey. After consuming a drink provided by Dar, the victims became incapacitated and were assaulted without consent, according to police. Dar was arrested on May 21 and charged with multiple felony counts, including penetration by a foreign object and oral copulation upon an intoxicated person. He
posted bond and is currently out of custody, police said. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is handling the case. Detectives have identified three victims but believe others may exist. They released Dar’s photograph to aid identification and encourage information from the public. Anyone with details is urged to contact the Special Assault Section at (213) 4730447 or, during non-business hours, 1-877LAPD-24-7. Anonymous tips can be submitted via LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online at www. lacrimestoppers.org or www.lapdonline. org under “Anonymous Web Tips.”
Ousted Downtown Santa Monica Board Members Threaten Legal Action Against City Council Attorneys for Board Members Claim the City Illegally Removed Members Without Cause
Attorneys representing two members of the Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) Board of Directors are threatening legal action after the Santa Monica City Council voted to remove six of its appointees without cause, a move the lawyers say violates state law and the board’s governing bylaws. In a letter sent this week to DTSM leadership, attorneys for board members Jon Farzam and Leo Pustilnikov argued that the council’s action to oust its appointees was “plainly illegal” and ignored protections adopted by the board during an emergency meeting on July 29. That meeting, convened under Government Code Section 54956.5, resulted in amendments to the organization’s bylaws restricting the city’s authority to remove directors without cause. The revised bylaws, approved just hours before the council’s vote, defined “cause” to include gross misconduct, felony conviction, breach of fiduciary duty, repeated absences without justification, or actions that pose legal or reputational risks to the nonprofit. The amendments
also established notice and due process requirements for any removal proceedings. Attorneys say the council disregarded those rules, offering no clear justification for its emergency action and creating what they called an “existential threat” to the board’s ability to function. They warned that swearing in interim replacements could undermine the board’s legitimacy and expose its actions to legal challenges.
“Our clients intend to pursue all legal remedies available, including filing for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction,” wrote Laura Strazzo of Patterson & O’Neill, who represents Farzam and Pustilnikov. The letter further instructed DTSM to preserve all documents, electronic records, and communications related to the dispute, warning that destruction of evidence could
lead to additional legal consequences. Farzam and Pustilnikov, both longtime figures in Santa Monica business and civic affairs, contend the council acted in bad faith. Their attorneys said they want the board to defer seating new appointees until the courts determine whether the city’s actions are lawful. The City Council has not yet publicly responded to the allegations.