1. Felony Robbery Arrest Near Santa Monica and Gardner
WEHOonline was alerted by neighbors to a heavy police presence at the corner of Gardner and SaMo Blvd on Wednesday night. Considering the city is on edge with recent events, including a random shooting close by two weeks ago, we decided to walk down and see what was up. We discovered a woman who had been arrested on suspicion of felony robbery.
A watch sergeant at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station confirmed the details to WEHOonline Thursday morning. The suspect, described as a female adult, approached a victim and demanded they empty their pockets. The victim refused. The suspect fled. No weapons were seen. Deputies detained a person of interest and later arrested her for robbery. There was no immediate connection determined to the recent shootings or robberies.
2. Dan Tana’s Got Shut Down by the Health Department
Dan Tana’s, the legendary Italian restaurant next door to the Troubadour that has been a West Hollywood institution since 1963, was temporarily shut down by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on April 15 after inspectors found evidence of a vermin infestation.
It was closed and cited using California Health and Safety Code Section 114259.1. Inspectors said the restaurant was classified as a high-risk facility seating 61 to 150 guests, and flagged two major violations: unsanitary food contact surfaces and the presence of insects or rodents. Their health permit was suspended on the spot.
Dan Tana’s is definitely not alone (what the heck is going on around here?), the kitchen at WeHo’s San Vicente Bungalows was also ordered closed after a similar inspection, and The Roof Garden at The Peninsula Beverly Hills was shut down April 18 for a vermin infestation as well. It’s been a rough ride for WeHo’s high-end dining scene. It’s unclear how long Dan Tana’s remained closed but they are open and taking reservations for dinner.
3. Woman Strangled During Hollywood Hills Home Invasion
KTLA reported a woman in her 70s was strangled and robbed inside her Hollywood Hills home Thursday night, and the suspects are still at large. Los Angeles police responded just before 8:30 p.m. to the 8500 block of Lookout Mountain Avenue, near Wonderland Avenue Elementary School.
Investigators said at least two suspects, described as masked men in black hoodies, broke into the home, attacked the woman, and stole approximately $20,000 in cash and jewelry. They fled in a white Honda Accord. The victim was taken to a hospital and was reported in stable condition Friday.
Robbery-homicide detectives were called in overnight. No arrests have been made. The incident comes as West Hollywood residents remain on edge following two apparently random shootings in the City earlier this month, Thursday night’s Eastside robbery arrest, and a string of break-ins across the broader Los Angeles area and a broad daylight break-in while on WeHo’s eastside a few months back. The residents were home and their duplex neighbors were throwing a BBQ at the time.
4. Beverly Hills Blinks — Again — on a 15-Story Builder’s Remedy Tower
West Hollywood’s battle over big buildings encroaching on smaller neighborhoods has crossed the border. Beverly Hills reversed course on another high-density housing project this week, voting April 21 to rescind its denial of a 15-story residential tower at 140 S. Camden Drive, just south of Wilshire Boulevard Hoodline reported.
The project, which falls under what’s known as a Builder’s Remedy application, is from developer Max Netty. It calls for 27 apartments above an underground automated parking garage. Beverly Hills had originally said the application was incomplete and denied an appeal. Netty sued. The City settled, and the terms required Beverly Hills to rescind the denial.
It’s the latest in a string of housing defeats for Beverly Hills, which has been fighting state Builder’s Remedy law project by project — and losing. A separate 26-story tower on Burton Way was approved last month after Beverly Hills staff told the Council it had little legal room to say no. A 19-story Netty project on Rodeo Drive was also approved last year.
For West Hollywood, the pattern is instructive. The City spent years resisting density only to watch state housing law override local control anyway. Beverly Hills is learning the same lesson, one lawsuit at a time.
5. Saturday night: Broken Hearts Club, 25 Years Later, Under the Stars at West Hollywood Park
Pride House Los Angeles–West Hollywood hosts an outdoor anniversary screening of The Broken Hearts Club tomorrow night at West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. The program begins at 7:30 p.m.
The event benefits Pride House LA–West Hollywood and Team OutAF, a program of the Out Athlete Fund that supports LGBTQ+ athletes competing on the world stage. Cast members are expected for a meet-and-greet. There will be food trucks, a bar, DJ BUCK/OFF, and a silent auction.
The same organization is producing the official LGBTQ+ gathering space at West Hollywood Park during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games — a 17-day activation being described as the largest LGBTQ+ sports event ever produced. Tonight is a fundraiser toward that goal.
GA is $50. VIP tix go for $150 and includes reserved seating, dinner, and a hosted bar. Tickets at pridehouselaweho.org. West Hollywood Parking lot at 625 N. San Vicente will charge $12. Pacific Design Center on Melrose is $18.
