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September 26, 2025 - October 2, November 28 - December 4, 2025 Volume CXXIII CXXIII Issue Issue 214 214
Descendantsin ofEquipment Black Entrepreneur to Get Thousands Stolen From $350K From Santa Monica Over 1950s Seizure Filmmaker’s Santa Monica Home The vote concludes Known for his work a mediation process across cinematography, that began inediting, the directing, and summer after the Ruiz-Healy returned council authorized home to find his house talks with occupied byWhite’s squatters
family
Indie filmmaker and award-winning cinematographer Fidel Ruiz-Healy is The Santafrom Monica City Councilhome has recovering a devastating agreed tothat pay $350,000 the descendants robbery left his SantatoMonica residence of Silas White,and a Black entrepreneur uninhabitable stripped of nearly whose all his 1958 plan to open the Ebony Beach Club professional equipment. onRuiz-Healy, Ocean Avenue was when the known forhalted his work across city seized the property through cinematography, directing, and eminent editing, domain. home on Sept. 16 from a work trip returned unanimous closed-session vote to The find his house ransacked and reportedly Tuesday concludes a mediation occupied by squatters. Accordingprocess to a that began campaign in Augustlaunched after the GoFundMe by council friends authorized talks with White’s and collaborators, “every singlefamily. crevice”The of cityhome will cover up toturned $15,000 in Alongside mediation the had been over. trash and discarded weapons leftamount. behind, costs in addition to the settlement extensive damage was a done to the White had signed lease-to-own plumbing, including cut wires, rendering the home unlivable. Most concerning for the filmmaker is the loss of virtually all of his camera equipment — the tools that form the backbone of his career and sole source of income. The theft included high-end gear such as a RED Dragon camera package, Leica R and Nikon AIS lenses, tripods, lighting meters, hard drives, and a MacBook Pro. Several
agreement for the former Elks Clubhouse at 1811 Ocean Ave. — now the site of the Viceroy Hotel — and incorporated the Ebony Beach Club as a nonprofit intended to serve Black residents during segregation. Signs were posted announcing an October 1958 opening, and the club had already attracted more than 400 prospective members. City officials condemned the property in 1958, citing the need for civic development near the planned Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. A 1959 court ruling found that White and the nonprofit had no compensable interest in the land. White’s family first filed a formal claim with the city in March 2024, seeking return of the land or financial restitution and drawing comparisons to the Bruce’s Beach case in Manhattan Beach. The payout is separate from ongoing work by Santa Monica’s Landback and Reparations Task Force, formed earlier this year to develop broader remedies for historic harms to Black and Brown residents. The city did not admit liability in the items belonging to colleagues that Ruizmediated agreement. Healy was storing were also among the stolen equipment. Compounding the loss, insurance coverage on the equipment had lapsed just weeks earlier, on August 30. Ruiz-Healy, who has since found temporary housing, is still taking on film work, friends say thepublisher loss of equipment and but video game SEGA presents a serious barrier to his livelihood. CORPORATION, welcomed its first “Any filmmaker understands that your visitors Saturday at 1451 3rd Street Promenade. The interactive pop-up lets guests try to win hundreds of Japan-exclusive prizes, including plush toys and merchandise from major anime and gaming franchises such as Sonic the When officers approached and attempted Hedgehog, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu to detain the man, he became uncooperative Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Dan Da and repeatedly reached toward the center Dan. console, police said. A brief struggle The store of foot. the followed beforerepresents the suspect one fled on Officers him a short largest apprehended U.S. appearances of distance Japan’s away. iconic capsule-toy vending machines A search of the vehicle revealed a and SEGA’s UFO CATCHER claw loaded handgun positioned between the machines anime conventions driver’s seatoutside and center console, within the and specialty Gacha suspect’s reach.arcades. Authorities also machines recovered aare significant amount psilocybin marking theirof cocaine, 60th anniversary mushrooms, in Japan and thismarijuana. year, while UFO The suspect, whose identity was not CATCHER celebrated its 40th in 2025. released, remains in custody pending Current investigation, hours are 11 police a.m. tosaid. 9 p.m. further No Monday-Thursday Sunday, and 11 additional details and were immediately available. a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
equipment is everything. Therefore, this situation requires immediate attention,” organizers wrote on the fundraiser page. As of Friday, more than $20,000 has been raised through over 250 donations on GoFundMe, putting the campaign within reach of its $22,000 goal. Supporters have continued to share the fundraiser, highlighting Ruiz-Healy’s reputation as a generous collaborator and “an all-around great guy.”
Santa Monica police have assigned a detective to the case, and neighbors have been alerted to report any leads. Organizers shared photos of the aftermath to show the scale of the damage and say they are continuing to adjust the fundraising goal to account for the full cost of replacing equipment and essential items. Those wishing to contribute can visit the GoFundMe page titled “Help Indie Film Legend After Home Robbery.”
Japanese Entertainment Giants Open Gacha and Claw Machine Pop-Up on Promenade
The store represents one of the largest U.S. appearances of Japan’s capsule-toy vending machines Suspect Flees Briefly and SEGA’s UFO Before Police Recover CATCHER claw Cocaine, Mushrooms, machines outside and Marijuana anime conventions
SMPD Arrest Man with Drugs, Loaded Gun After Traffic Stop
A traffic stop in Santa Monica led to limited-time arcadewith experience theAarrest of a man found a loaded showcasing than 100quantity authentic handgun and more a significant of Japanese gacha capsule-toy machines drugs, police said Thursday. and dozens of SEGA UFO Department CATCHER Santa Monica Police claw machines opened overof Bay the officers, patrolling the 00 block weekend on Santa Monica’s Street Street around 9:40 p.m. Third Wednesday, Promenade. observed a parked vehicle with the driver’s door open. The driver was handling “Gacha & Catch,” a seen collaboration suspected paraphernalia, accordingtoy to between drug Mitsubishi Corporation, amanufacturer police statement. TOMY Company Ltd.,