(Editor’s note: photos and videos have been sent to CTN anonymously. CTN does not identify the kids by name, CTN does not allege wrongdoing on the part of anyone in a photo, that were taken on public streets. CTN is asking parents to realize the kids pictured may be in the wrong company and to address the behavior: fireworks, the beating of younger kids and stealing from CVS. CTN feels that if parents were aware that their child was misbehaving, they would want it corrected before it created real problems for the future.)
Resident Rich Wilken remembers when he was a teen and a neighbor saw him “driving too fast,” the neighbor would call his mom and let her know. His mom would then make him accountable for his actions.
A group of parents met with this editor to discuss the risk to safety, not only for middle-school kids and teens, but also for the elderly.
One elderly woman, in the street with a walker in the street was told by a teen to “Suck my c*ck.” Another elderly man was surrounded by a pack of youth near CVS and threatened with a beating, but was recused by another man who was then attacked.
A member of the American Legion was threatened, and when he ignored the thugs and went into a restaurant, the teens went to the restaurant window and dropped their pants.
A teen was grabbed by a pack of youth and told to turn over his hoodie. When he didn’t want to they grabbed his friend and said, “go get a different shirt, bring back the hoodie, and if you’re not back in 10 minutes, he’ll (you’re friend) be beaten up.”
Another kid who was beaten ended up in the hospital with injuries.
Supposedly there have been many incidents that have gone unreported because the “pack” threatens the kid with even greater bodily harm if criminal behavior is reported.
As one person said, “Someone asked about finding a house and moving to the Palisades. I told them ‘No, it’s not safe here.’”
Two weeks ago, a group of teens blocked the street, near La Cruz and Swarthmore. When a senior honked his horn, telling them to move, they started pounding on his car. He got out of his car to speak to the teens, but a resident concerned for the elder’s safety pushed him back in his car and told him to lock his door.
Teens were using a large knife to intimidate other kids.
This past Friday around 4 p.m., a large group of kids 30 or more gathered on La Cruz and a fistfight broke out, traffic was stopped Someone called 911 and the Citizen’s App reported the melee.
Another resident wrote that about 4:30 p.m. “Near Beech Street, there was a group of kids standing in the middle of the street holding up traffic—by the time I was close enough to video, they were walking away. As I drove by Gelsons a few minutes later, a group was screaming at cars (including mine—I ignored them, but they screamed at me for several minutes as I waited at the light).
Then at 6:51 p.m. professional grade Illegal fireworks went off at the Rec Center again. Police were notified.
Parents wrote in a letter for the community and city officials that “Palisades Park is nestled between two prominent neighborhoods on the commercial street of Alma Real and the enviable residential street of Toyopa Drive. The Park is just down the street from Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village, home to luxury grocer Erewhon and retailers like Yves St. Laurant, Lululemon and Sephora, one of the most expensive, heavily secured real estate hubs of West Los Angeles.
“Palisades Park is home of the Pali Recreation Center which provides tennis courts, athletic fields and other programming – a place that should resonate with tranquility and family-friendly recreation.
“But over the past two years it has unfortunately become the apex and backdrop for a concerning and dangerous trend, happenings that can be quickly understood by a quick search of “fireworks Pali Park,” or “Crime Pali Park,” on the NextDoor app.
“A series of assaults on other children are the latest alarming development. While illegal firework activity has been an ongoing, unpatrolled noise complaint for two years now, physical assault is an entirely different crime and cause for concern. The reports have now reached a dozen, and these are only what have been reported to police. Many children fear telling their parents of scary incidents, due to threats of retribution from the perpetrators.
“Some of these assaults have been cornered off, in the dark, where only the peer group of the victim could witness them, whereas others have surprisingly transpired in broad daylight. All of them are deeply troubling and rather than a “kids will be kids” explanation of events, seem rather to lead to one group of boys in particular. These teens have been identified in video and by other eyewitnesses as possibly students at Palisades Charter High School.”
Absolutely outrageous. This has been going on way too long. I can’t believe the kids have not been identified. They – and their parents – need to feel the force of the law.
Thank you. More of this please. These boys are relentless and their parents seem to have no control or decency.
This scares me to death. I’ve always felt completely safe in the Palisades…day and night. Obviously I’ve been very naive. I will be more cautious from now on. I only hope and pray the parents of these kids are taking steps to break these kids away from the groups they have formed. I remember in my teens I began running with a girl my mom did not approve of. She kept at me and I fought it…but after ditching school the one and only time, and running into my uncle at a dept store…AND smoking the friendship ended. My mother saw to that.
Very simple solution –
LAPD should take these kids in custody, drive then to the nearest Police Station at 1663 Butler Avenue in WLA. At that point in time their parents should be called and the parents can decide to take time and pick them up or, let them stay overnight.
Botton line, my solution would force parents to understand and realize what there kids are up to … Parents would be forced to take a more active role in their kids’ lives.
I’m tired of seeing the mayhem occurring in CVS, the Rec Center and along La Cruz and Swarthmore. It’s all over. Parents need to take a more active role in their kids’ lives.
So sick of this. Everybody knows who these kids are. Pali High School DOES NOTHING. Says not our problem since it didn’t happen on campus. LAPD does nothing. The kids parents do nothing. The kids identified in the video should no longer be allowed in the 90272. People get banned from stadiums, cities and even countries. Palisades community council is the last place you should go to address this. We’ve tried. They do nothing. They talk just enough to make you think they’re going to do something but then they kick the can down the road. They need to be kicked out of school and kicked out of town. This should no longer be our problem.
Sue,
It’s not like the city will do anything. If their way to fix a reported pothole 9″ across and 2″ deep is to drop a traffic cone into the hole (which was ringed with other significant potholes) and cancel the request to fill, saying that the situation had already been reported, why would anyone come out to help our community with something that could be dangerous to their personnel ? Looked like violence there to me.
Potholes location: La Cruz, between carwash and Taj Palace.
It’s really gotten out of control in the past 6 months. Friday nights are the worst- I suspect some of the kids are from neighboring communities and the kids all ride the bus home to the palisades from school (with parents assuming “the palisades is safe” and have no idea what’s happening). I know LAPD Brian told me they asked admin at Paul Revere to alert parents but tbh there is so much communication from them about such minutia updates that no one really even listens to it anymore (so important “alerts” get missed/ lost in the ether)
Are you listening OFFICER ESPIN?
Are you listening PALISADES CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL?
Enough talk. Enough of you saying your hands are tied. Stop putting it back on us. We’ve given you everything you asked for. Video evidence. Photographic evidence. First hand accounts. Filed charges. Nothing has changed. It’s gotten worse. Do your job. If you’re admitting defeat then find someone willing to take on the fight.
We dont know the full backstory of what happened. Kids these days are very impulsive and should deserve a second chance. Something might’ve happened between the kids and one thing always leads to another, I mean they are teenagers. Please think before you act adults and teens.
These are not children. Enough photos and videos have been shown that would make any parent or delinquent stop such behavior so it’s time for escalation of service to deal with under 21 year old criminals. The people who have already been identified (as of several months ago and by several entities, including the school) should be brought up on charges. Does anyone know why the under age of majority gangs are still running the streets?
This has gotten so out of control. This past Friday night at the baseball games (3/8/24) there were fireworks going off every which way- the perpetrators ride around on their e-bikes and scooters and throw the fireworks in random places surrounding the park. Portero Canyon, near the tennis courts, on the playground, etc. There are small children around and could easily come into contact with one of these fireworks since they are randomly thrown and unpredictable as to where they may land.
They steal from CVS and cause major issues there as well. An employee (possibly the manager) of the store is at his wits end. “It is a daily, constant struggle with these kids. They throw things across the store from aisle 1 to aisle 4 on a daily basis. We kick them out, and then they come right back inside and continue to steal and throw things”.
I’m afraid many of the parents of these kids wouldn’t be successful in getting their behavior to stop, either. I know personally of a kid in the 8th grade at PR who was expelled for buying a BB gun at school, and threatened Mr. Evans with it. This kid has also flooded a UCLA Hospital WITH A FIRE HOSE, with his friends, which totalled more than $1 million in damages. The parents of the kids involved had to split the million dollar bill. They are simply out of control, they have no respect for themselves or others, and someone is going to get seriously injured or worse. Although come to think of it, one of their friends has already been in a burn unit from being torched by their friends’ explosives at the park while his “friends” ran away while he was still on fire so they would not get caught.
Perhaps a monetary award for the person that can identify these kids is a good start. Let’s incentivize people to start talking! Proving exactly who is involved might be the hardest part given we need hard evidence! I don’t know what the solution is, but this has to stop!
There have been at least 15 victims to date. The child has had issues since middle school. The father has an occupation that is looked upon by most folks with reverence and respect. It’s time to warn parents thinking of choosing Pali High as a school of choice to rethink that choice.
This is an ongoing problem. This particular group of boys have been identified and reported repeatedly to Pali High and Officer Espin and the LAPD, but still they are able to roam around town. It’s not just this group causing problems, although this boy and his friends are especially violent. They have assaulted many kids and adults. What will it take?
Stacy, You’ve no idea. These are the same kids that have been holding middle schoolers down in the park and stealing their hoodies. Same kids that have been beating kids up. You may be just learning about this but many of us have been in the trenches with it for over a year. The main kid fighting is currently in litigation for attacking an elderly man at CVS.
Not to mention the fact that this fight in the video is many against one. So you’re saying there could be justification for a group of kids beating on a single kid?
Do your research about these kids. And please do check out the photo of the kid with the giant knife. When something really terrible happens I’ll be sure to post your reply to this article. Along with your hopes and prayers.
So disturbing, those boys ganging up on thy one kid, what if that was our child?. It’s like Lord Of The Flies, completely unacceptable.
LAPD, under the “leadership” of Gascon will do nothing. This community needs to hold these teens and their parents accountable. The behavior is unacceptable and puts all of us at risk, especially the children.
It’s horrible. I have been verbally assaulted at Garden Cafe while trying to protect my 9 year old daughter and her friends. I was there Friday just before the fight and it is not good scene at all.
Free my boys they didn’t do nun wrong ong ong frfr 🙏🙏🤞🙅
Circle the News should start a section called Circle of Shame to keep a running record of this behavior…public..in one place. Community members can post their videos and pictures and the teens can be identified by name. Baby pictures of them can be added too. I just don’t see any other way to get this under control.
Please keep videotaping these guys and maybe if you have the chance, follow them home. They have to go home eventually. Team effort and it takes a village for sure! So upsetting. I’ve lived here over 30 years. Never heard of anything like this. Despicable behavior. Keep the ideas coming.
Vicious teenagers rampage Pacific Palisades committing acts of terrorism throughout our community we must put an end to these ruthless teenagers. I’m a strong member of the Chiraqians and support our amazing governor Newsoms decision to arrest all minors under 21 if found out past curfew locking these juveniles back into there cages ending the trans genocide of our people for I demand there to be more laws preventing minors to use electric bicycles that exceed 15 mph for they are to dangerous and fast, accidents waiting to happen. I saw 2 Thugs just last night at 8:47PM riding their skateboards in the pacific palisades there parents should be ashamed of themselves for allowing the kids to ride skateboards very dangerous and statistics show they are more likely to become addicted to drugs. I grew up in a very dangerous area as a kid living with my mom and dad in an only 4 bed room house in Beverly Hills wishing I had the opportunity’s the children of today have. I wish we could put an end to all this.
The police should be undercover waiting for them at the park, at CVS and wherever they hang out to catch them red-handed with their deviant behavior. Any parent that is aware their kid is behaving like this should be held accountable as well. These teens are old enough to know this behavior is criminal. No neighborhood should have to be subjected to or tolerate this repugnant, totally unacceptable behavior.
I witnessed this firsthand on Friday afternoon, trying to have a nice time walking around in the village with my young children. These kids are not just “being kids”, they are intimidating and enjoy making people feel uncomfortable. I was truly at a loss having to explain to my own children how unacceptable the behavior was and felt scared. A man walking a stroller almost got caught up in the melee near Garden Cafe. It’s unacceptable. Santa Monica hired its own private security to patrol the promenade, maybe we need something like that too, funded by the community through donations. The police are way too far away to do anything at all. We also need an LAPD substation in the neighborhood, but at least private security we could get in place sooner.
These kids don’t even live in the Palisades yet they are causing such a commotion in our neighborhood. If you don’t live in the Palisades, you shouldn’t be allowed to go to Pali High…
The biggest gang, doing the bullying, does live in the Palisades.
I can’t imagine the trauma that poor kid went through. A 7 on 1 fight could get a kid killed. We all going to stand around as parents and do nothing until that happens? Pali needs to stop turning a blind eye, step up and stand behind a no tolerance policy.
Free these kids. They aint even do nothing. FREE THEM. My people did nothing and the kid getting jumped deserved it. Nobody knows what is like to go through my life. I do not tolerate bullying or non of that. but this is def fake. IM GETTING BOND FOR MY PEOPLE FREEEE THEM.
Thankfully, my friend intervened when she saw the altercation, shouting at them and physically stopping the fight. You can hear her yelling at the end of the video. It’s scary to think what could have happened if she hadn’t stepped in. Her bravery was remarkable, especially considering the risk she took. She cared that there was a kid being attacked by a gang, and unfortunately, many people just watched without intervening. It’s extremely concerning to see these crimes happening out in the open without any consequences. Hopefully, the police will finally take action against these kids, and the parents will step up to help these troubled teens. This behavior is not normal. Sue, thank you for bringing attention to this issue.
People know the names of these kids. Pretty sure the ringleader lives on Marquez.
Why on earth is there no mention of anyone talking with any of these kids’ parents?
Blame everyone in the world for allowing this to happen, but why is nobody talking to their parents? Most of these kids go to Pali High. This is just sickening this has gone on as long as it has.
This is outrageous and disgusting. Their parents must be so very proud! Let’s hope their parents are embarrassed to come forward. With that said please DO NOT look at as the norm for Palisades Charter HS students or families! over 3000 kids attend Pali High and 99.9 % of them are amazing, well behave, and kind kids. I am PTSA co-president and volunteer almost every day in the library or I am on campus for some committee meeting. In all 5 years (between 2 kids) I have met 1 girl who was disrespectful. We as a community could easily point the finger to the rude and disrespectful parents at Seven Arrows who on a daily basis double park or park in the red zone and bring traffic to a standstill. They regularly don’t use the crosswalk to cross to and from the school. I am sure not all Seven Arrow parents act that way. So, let’s not callout ALL Pali High parents and students just b/c a few kids are menace to society.
The Police need to drag these animals out of PaliHigh and put them in jail where they belong. Locking criminals up before they can do real harm is the only way. I’m a member of the palisades since 2020 and have started a homeless fund to clean our streets. I know what it’s like to be a kid I have also felt with bully’s but these are no bully’s these are criminals I’ve seen one of them go inside of CVS with a backpack and he wouldn’t take it off when I told him I then told the manager and he complied I can’t believe how they do what ever they want. I then saw 3 kids wearing all black at night knowing they were up to shady things I followed them and recorded one of them jump a fence into the back hiking trail in the park. From there I knew they were the same kids who vape and do weed. We need to find these kids parents and end all this nonsense the kids of today do. When I was there age I read books and played handball now they break laws and disobey orders it’s a shame.
The kid branding the knife in the picture is the ring leader.
Has anyone reported his parents to LA Department of Child and Family Services?
They are neglecting their kid by failing to appropriately supervise. This is child abuse. (800) 540-4000
If you know any of the other kids please identify them. Name them. Don’t stay silent. These families need professional help.
Focus on the violence in that video. Beyond bullying, in daylight, on a crowded street next to a popular restaurant. Citizens need to file police reports. Victims need to sue the pants off the parents. This is assault and battery. We may live in an area where Gascon has no spine to prosecute the crimes, and police are impotent to do anything, but sue the parents and you will get their attention. Pali High is unable to parent, and as a public school they are limited in options. We need to help the school but taking this issue on. These kids are terrorizing the town, beating up kids and senior citizens. Circling the News, please post the kids and parents names. Thank you for your excellent reporting
Focus on the violence in this video. These Pali High kids fear nothing. They are beating this kid in broad daylight, on a busy street, without fear. That should shock the entire community. The parents of this child should sue the crap out of each one of these kids parents. This is not the first time they have beaten someone. They have attacked other kids and seniors in the town, and people are afraid to talk, but we all have seen the videos. I promise you more videos will come out, but for now, name the parents. Sue the parents. That is the only thing which will get their attention. They are obviously ignoring their kids or not getting them the help they need. This has to stop now. Let’s support Pali Hi as they navigate this mess
Horrible. Pali High needs to take action. These parents need to be identified. Legal action should be taken. We need to support our public schools. They cannot parent when the parents are not parenting. These kids are going to end up committing more serious crimes and will end up in jail if we do not intervene now
Sue the parents of these Pali High kids. The kid in this video has been assaulted. They will win, and a huge message will be sent to the community. There has to be consequences. Our police are impotent. Pali High can’t do anything. Legal action will get the parents to parent
The parents are probably parenting. These days, it’s not enough to parent if you already have out of control teenagers influenced by social media, kids watching other kids online doing nasty stuff they consider fun, bad friends (who are also influenced by what they are exposed to online). I mean have you guys even seen stuff on TikTok? It’s full of bullying, filming and laughing!
I think if there is no police authority in the village or strong father figure at home these type of behaviors gets worst. Palisades community should pay to hire private officers who are actually tough looking and parade in palisades and show these kids consequences.
Again don’t forget their raging hormones and do not think anll
Kids turn out to be the same . Consider genetics, race and lack of good core family bonds these days. Kids are alone more than ever before and just attached to their devices for social interaction. It is complicated and scary times.
This is a police issue, it’s shocking they haven’t arrested these young men. For their sake and the publics sake they need to go to jail and separate them. Scared Straight was a program for youth that showed the reality they were headed for, jail if you were lucky, death if you weren’t.
It’s beyond time we had a police station in the Palisades and a local patrol.
Each one of these punks should be outed and arrested for battery. The kid who was the victim did a great job protecting himself vs. 6 sad excuses for human beings, to say nothing of the multiple losers who were filming it. If that was my son who was attacked, I would find out who the perpetrators were and would make sure the DA files the most grievous charges against them.