January 2, 2012 - A person of interest placed in custody in regards to the arson fires this morning

A person of interest was pulled over by the LAPD and placed in custody for questioning regarding the arson fires this morning.








Photos courtesy of Venice311:

Suspect/person of interest smiling in the backseat

January 2, 2012 - The LAPD have released footage of a person of interest in the arson fires in Los Angeles

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

At a press conference on Sunday, the Los Angeles Police Department released footage of person of interest in the arson fires that have been occurred in Hollywood, West Hollywood and North Hollywood.  Normally, I like to post fun things happening around town, but I think this is a very important video for all of us to see.  While the video quality is poor, the person of interest has a very unique walk and someone may recognize him from his walk.  The person of interest also entered a small black car or SUV.

This might be a good opportunity to start a Neighborhood Watch in your neighborhood, get to know your neighbors and protect the area.  Concerned citizens standing outside would certainly be a deterrent for anyone looking to cause trouble.  Many of us who are unemployed at the moment certainly wouldn't mind going out to ensure our neighborhoods stay safe at night.  Information on LAPD's Neighborhood Watch program can be found here.

I'd also recommend contacting the Guardian Angels.  When I lived on Whitley Avenue in the 90s, our Neighborhood Watch worked with the LAPD and Guardian Angels to clean up the area.  The Guardian Angels simply need an apartment that will let them stay there and locals buying them food.  That's a small price to pay and worth considering.

If you hear or see anything strange in your neighborhood, don't hesitate to call 911.  Stay safe and feel free to leave me any feedback.  I'm in the Hollywood Boulevard/La Brea area, so some of these fires have been very close.

***Update 4:00 a.m.***  Police are questioning a person of interest they caught at Fairfax & Sunset.

November 11, 2011 - Happy Veterans Day!

Photo courtesy of Catie Drew

Happy Veterans Day to all of the brave men and women who keep us safe!  Thank you for your service to our country.  I'm going to try my best to put together a comprehensive list of restaurants, theme parks and other businesses that are honoring you today.  While my blog is primarily local events, these many of these offers are nationwide.  However, you may want to call the local establishments and make sure the offer is good in your area before heading over with your service ID.

Theme Parks:

• SeaWorld, Adventure Island, Water Country USA and Busch Gardens are all offering free admission to their parks for members of the millitary and up to 3 direct dependents for the rest of 2011.  Click here to register.
• Aquarium of the Pacific is offering free admission today to all veterans, military personnel, police officers and firefighters 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.  Details are here.  Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach and directions can be found here. 
• Knotts Berry Farm is offering free admission to all veterans along with 1 guest from now till November 25th.  Knotts is also offering free admission to police and firefighters along with 1 guest from November 25th till December 19th.  Additional tickets can be puchased for $15.00 each.  Details can be found here.  Knotts Berry Farm is located at 8039 Beach Boulevard in Buena Park and directions can be found here.
• Colonial Williamsburg is offering free admission to active duty military, guard and reservists, retirees, veterans and their dependents today through November 13th.  Details can be found here.

Restaurants:

• Olive Garden is offering all active/retired military personnel a free entrée (6 to choose from) that also includes baked garlic breadsticks and soup or salad.  Details are here and you can find your closest Olive Garden here.
•  Applebee's is offering a free entrée (7 to choose from) to all active/retired military personnel today.  Details are here and you can find the closest Applebee's here.
• Chili's is a free lunch combo (6 to choose from) to all active/retired military personnel today from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Details are here and you can find the closest Chili's here.
• McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants is offering active/retired military personnel a free lunch of dinner on Sunday, November 13th.  Details can be found here and a list of participating restaurants can be found here.
• Subway Restaurants is offering a free 6" submarine sandwich to active/retired military personnel 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. today.  Once again, please call to make sure your local franchise is on board with the deal.  Find your closest Subway here.
• Texas Roadhouse is offering a free entrée (10 to choose from) along with a free Coke, iced tea or coffee to active/retired military personnel!  If you live close to a Texas Roadhouse, this would be my recommendation for dinner.  Details are here and locations are here.
• Golden Corral is offering a free dinner to active/retired military personnel on Monday, November 14th from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.  Details can be found here and locations can be found here.
• Famous Dave's is offering different deals at their various restaurants for active/retired military personnel today.  Details can be found here.
• Outback Steakhouse is offering one of their excellent Bloomin' Onions along with a Coke today for active/retired military personnel.  Details can be found here and locations can be found here.
• BJ's Restaurant is offering all active/retired military personnel a free lunch entrée or a one topping mini pizza today.  Details can be found here and locations can be found here.
•  Krispy Kreme is offering a free doughnut to active/retired military personnel.  Locations can be found here.
• Ruby's Diner is honoring active/retired military personnel with free cinnamon roll French toast!  Print out the coupon here and locations can be found here.
• Lucca Cafe in is offering a free lunch and soft drink or coffee to active/retired military personnel today from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Lucca Cafe is located at 6507 Quail Hill Parkway in Irvine California.  Please call (949) 725-1773 for reservations.  Directions can be found here.
• Avalon Bagels to Burgers (with locations in Yorba Linda and Placentia, California) is offering a free meal to active/retired military personnel.  Details can be found here.
• 7-Eleven locations are offering active/retired military personnel a free Slurpee from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. today.  Store locations can be found here.