Van Nuys

The Rape of Sepulveda Basin

Happy National Caramel Popcorn Day: 5 Places to Eat Bacon Popcorn Instead

We're told April 6 is National Caramel Popcorn Day, but aside from the concession stands at The Arclight and Dodger Stadium, we're not seeing too much caramel corn in this town. Instead, a different kind of corn is popping up on L.A. menus, and it's got one thing in common: bacon. Sometimes, you can ... More >>

Shark Dies On Van Nuys Kmart Ad Set; Investigation Launched

Updated at the bottom with a statement from Kmart and an assertion that PETA got it wrong. First posted at 7:09 a.m. An independent investigation has been launched into the death of a shark that was being used for the filming of a Kmart commercial in Van Nuys, the American Human Association tells t ... More >>

Santos Omar Barillas: Dad Hits Strip Club As Toddler Left In Truck, L.A. Cops Say

Fathers, when you go to the strip club, leave your daughters at home. Or -- maybe -- just don't go to the strip club. Cops say 24-year-old Santos Omar Barillas threw down a few at 7557 Club in Van Nuys over the weekend. Fair enough: Weekends were made for Michelob. Memba? Unfortunately, police ... More >>

Woman Set On Fire In Random Act Of Violence In Van Nuys

A woman was set on fire by a man in what appears to be a random act of psychotic violence overnight. The homeless lady, in her mid- to late-60s, was sent to a hospital in critical condition following the early morning attack in Van Nuys, police told the Weekly. It happened ...

Fort Hernandez, Symbol Of Occupy's Anti-Foreclosure Stance, Evicted

A bastion of the contemporary Occupy movement is no more. A foreclosed house dubbed Fort Hernandez was cleared out by sheriff's deputies early this morning, observers report. The eviction after a four-month sit-in at the Hernandez family home in Van Nuys was reported about 4:30 a.m. An witness said ... More >>

Food News Roundup: Cookie Advent Calendar, Christmas Hot Dogs A Gluten-Free Holiday Menu

Saveur: The 2012 cookie advent calendar. Ruth Reichl: Gift Guide, Day 18. Or, the Corkcicle. Eater LA: La Brea Bakery moving up the street in January. Serious Eats: Christmas-themed hot dogs. LA Observed: One Adam 12: Code 7 at Henry's Tacos. Food52: A Gluten-Free Holiday Menu. Bon Appetit: ... More >>

In-Chan's Little Secret

This family restaurant in Van Nuys delights with northern Thai dishes — as long as you ask for the special menu

The 5 Things You Need To Know About In-Chan

In-Chan Thai Cuisine is the subject of this week's restaurant review. Here's a taste of what you can find in the review, as well as a few extra tidbits: Food: Make sure to ask for the special Northern Thai menu, which isn't given out to most patrons unless specifically asked for. Order of it and yo ... More >>

#FortHernandez #CouchRaid: LAPD Hauls Off Sofas And Signs From Anti-Foreclosure Encampment

The LAPD showed up in force before dawn this morning at #FortHernandez, the foreclosed Van Nuys house where Occupiers have been camped out since late August.Turns out, the cops didn't come to evict anybody. Instead, they confiscated five couches, impounded a car and took protest signs, desks and oth ... More >>

Carmageddon II Reopening Christened With High-Speed Chase of Stolen Jaguar

What better way to christen the reopening of the 405 freeway following the Carmageddon II weekend shutdown than with a full-blown police chase? Welcome to Los Angeles. A high-speed pursuit of a stolen Jaguar (it looked like an XJ to us) marked the reopening of the 405 through the Sepulveda Pass in ... More >>

DUI Checkpoints, Drunk Patrols Across L.A. Starting Tonight

Cinco de Mayo just happened and cops swarmed Southern California with DUI checkpoints and drunk patrols. Don't they ever let up? No. The LAPD is back at it this weekend -- starting tonight -- with checkpoints and "saturation patrols" in Havard Heights, South L.A., Boyle Heights, and scenic Van Nuy ... More >>

Ginormous Drug Bust in L.A. Nets 160 Pounds of Meth: Alan Tamayo-Montoya Arrested

Authorities today said they seized enough meth to keep every trailer park in America humming for at least a year. Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration along with El Monte and Santa Monica police too 160 pounds of redneck crack off the streets ... More >>

Naked Man in Car Followed Girls Home Near Van Nuys Middle School

See our clarification at the bottom. A naked driver has been following girls home near a Van Nuys middle school, police tell the Weekly today. Two underage girls reported that a nude man behind the wheel of a vehicle followed them home in the area earlier this month, but LAPD Van Nuys detectives r ... More >>

Get a Peck on the Cheep

How to Eat BBQ: The Best in Restaurant Signage

That is how you do barbecue, folks. We're not entirely opposed to barbecue sauce, but we are something of a smoked meat minimalist. Deep down in our salty, withered core, we believe when barbecue arrives glopped over with sauce, it's probably to mask a half-hearted rub or the fact that the meat has ... More >>

Top 5 Places to Eat Piroshki in L.A.

L.Aghajanian​On the post-Soviet streets of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, the piroshki is the fast food of choice. A fast fried doughy bun stuffed with warm, savory fillings like potatoes, meat or mushrooms, the piroshki boasts just the right amount of dough-to-filling ratio for your eating and h ... More >>

Brian Posehn's Perfect Day In The Valley: Food, Toys More Food

Brian Posehn is a comic, writer, actor, and food-eater. The Comedians of Comedy, Sarah Silverman Program, and Mr. Show alumnus is also a dedicated San Fernando Valleyite and gastronome. Squid Ink recently asked Posehn to describe what his most perfectest day in the Valley with his wife and baby wo ... More >>

Occupy L.A. Sees Casting Call For Young, Hot Protesters Who Want to Join the MTV Real World Movement

​MTV has made an industry this year of recycling its vintage content, from Beavis & Butthead to Liquid Television. Now the network appears to be updating or at least remixing its Real World franchise with a tip of the hat to the Occupy generation. Casting calls in Los Angeles and New York th ... More >>

Feds Sue Rogue Debt Collectors in the Valley, Reveal Horrifying Tactics They Used to Collect

mymajicdc.comWhatever it takes.​Ever had the grave misfortune, over the last five years, of receiving a call from Forensic Case Management Services in Van Nuys? You'd definitely remember. (Though the company may have called itself Rumson, Bolling and Associates, Commercial Recovery Solutions ... More >>

Hood Surfing Ends in Critical Injuries For Gas Station Attendant Who Took Half-Mile Ride Through Van Nuys After Business Dispute

YouTubeHood surfing.​Dear gas station attendants: When you get into a business dispute with a customer, try not to get in front of his car. It could end up with you in the hospital. Even a free tank of gas at today's prices ain't worth it. An argument between a gas man and a motorist over the ... More >>

Larry Green, 29-Year-Old Northridge Man, Shot Dead in Hallway of Van Nuys Motel

Facebook​A black man discovered dead in the hallway of a Van Nuys motel on Sunday night has been identified as 29-year-old Larry David Green of Northridge. LAPD detectives were called to the Voyager Motor Inn at about 11 p.m., City News Service reports. They spent the entire night "collectin ... More >>

Woman, Dog Living in 'Packrat' Conditions Die in Van Nuys House Fire

KTLAA similarly packed North Hollywood home that went up in flames two years ago​An 80-year-old woman who had been living in her Van Nuys home since the 1960s died in the hospital this morning after a house fire burned 80 percent of her body, according to KNX news radio. Her dog was also a v ... More >>

L.A. Launches Graffiti Database to Track Taggers, Keep Evidence on File

Graffiti meets database.​Los Angeles is launching its own tagger database and expanding graffiti tracking to four areas of the city, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilman Jose Huizar were scheduled to announce today. Workers equipped with smart phones will have the ability to upload photo ... More >>

Toddler Loses Finger on Escalator at Van Nuys Courthouse: It's Reattached by Doctors

A kid's worst nightmare came true in Van Nuys.​Kids seem to have an unnatural fear of escalators. But maybe not. This week a 17-month-old got on of his fingers caught in an escalator at the courthouse in Van Nuys. The finger was severed in the 8:51 a.m. accident Tuesday at 14400 Erwin St., sa ... More >>

Apparent Mexican Federal Police Jet Skids Off Runway at Van Nuys Airport

KTLA News.A Mexican mystery jet skidded off a Van Nuys Airport runway.​A stealth-looking private-style jet with the markings of the Mexican federal police on its side ran off a runway at Van Nuys airport Friday afternoon. A KTLA News helicopter captured images of the jet's "Policia Federal" m ... More >>

Van Nuys Farmers Market Shut Down By L.A. City Councilman Tony Cardenas

Here In Van NuysA much lusher Van Nuys Farmers Market, back in October 2008​Updated after the jump: Councilman Cardenas explains his decision. Meanwhile, the market remains shuttered indefinitely. 'Tis the season for L.A. brick-and-mortar businesses to hate on those damned gypsy vendors who s ... More >>

DUI Checkpoint Planned Near Van Nuys Airport Tonight, So Fly Straight

Don't drink and drive, especially near Van Nuys airport.​It's Friday, and you know what that means. It's time for your weekly DUI checkpoint in Los Angeles. The LAPD says it sets these things up for your own safety -- and that it targets areas where there have been problems with drunk drivers ... More >>

What About Babka: 5 Spots for Chocolate Babka

​ At its best, babka is crack-like in its ability to burrow into the psyche, forcing its gooey sweetness into the crave-generating centers of the brain and not letting go until you have ingested far more than your digestive system can handle. An Eastern European cousin of coffee cake, the rich ... More >>

Heatwave: Don't Head To Libraries For Cooling, As L.A. City Advises -- They're Closed

​The National Weather Service is warning Angelenos to expect "hazardous heat," with temps in the 100s inland and in the Valleys. The city of Los Angeles is doing its part -- encouraging folks who need respite from the hot weather Monday to take shelter in "cooling centers" that include "Seni ... More >>

LAPD Plans DUI And Drivers License Checkpoints For The Weekend

​(Ladies and) gentlemen, don't start your engines. It's going to be a big weekend for DUI checkpoints. What's the occasion? We don't know. It's not the 4th of July or even New Year's Eve, but the men and women in blue will be out in force in the city of Los Angeles. So be on your best behavior ... More >>

Valley Dispensary Robbery Caught On Tape; Suspect Shoots His Way Out

​Just a few years ago medical marijuana dispensaries seemed to be a hot entrepreneurial growth industry. These days we don't envy pot-shop operators. Besides a city crackdown that is supposed to result in the closure of most dispensaries in the city, there has been a string of pot-shop robber ... More >>

Top 10 Places To Watch the FIFA World Cup

​Tomorrow begins the the most widely watched sporting event in the world, the 2010 FIFA World Cup. And for the next month, from June to July 11th, even Laker mania will take a back seat to soccer. The World Cup, held for the first time in Africa, showcases 32 countries. And while you can of co ... More >>

Edwin A. Marin, L.A. Homicide No. 98: Man Found Dead in Lake View Terrace

A Pacoima man who was fatally shot in Lake View Terrace May has been identified as 20-year-old Edwin A. Marin. View Larger Map Marin's body was discovered around 2:45 am Saturday near Van Nuys and Foothill boulevards.

City Council Passes Pot-Shop Law; Challenges Likely

​After years of wrangling and foot-dragging the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday gave final approval to a law that would essentially shut down nearly 475 medical marijuana dispensaries in the city while allowing another 137 or so to remain open. The ordinance has a final goal of capping th ... More >>

Woman Pregnant With Twins Raped, Killed In Venice

Google Maps​A woman 18-weeks pregnant with twins was raped and fatally stabbed in her Venice home, police reported late Wednesday. A 22-year-old suspect from Culver City, identified as Boneetio Kentro Washington, was spotted running from the scene by responding officers who stopped him and mad ... More >>

Murder Was the Case: L.A. Homicide No. 185, Victim Identified in Van Nuys Gang-Related Shooting

The 20-year-old man who was gunned down in an apparent gang-related shooting in Van Nuys on August 3 was identified as Giovanni Perez.  View Larger Map  Perez was standing on a sidewalk on the corner of Valerio Street and Lennox Avenue about 11:30 p.m., Monday, when he was approached by a ... More >>

Will Van Nuys Secede From Itself?

Following today's L.A. City Council vote, Van Nuys upholds its reputation as the incredible shrinking town. Over time bits of the largely blue-collar, Latino community have either broken off to form Valley Glen or simply thrown in the towel completely and joined Sherman Oaks -- when Sherman Oaks wou ... More >>

Is Tokyo the Future for Los Angeles?

A new "ban" would allow 20 areas citywide thick with billboards

Morning Sixpack: A News Roundup

Oscar Nominations Announced The Curious Case of Benjamin Button leads pack but, Dude, where's my Gran Torino?Van Nuys Community Seeks Asylum -- In Sherman Oaks L.A. Daily News' Rick Orlov reports on an another group of Van Nuys residents who want to break away from V.N. and be rebranded as part of S ... More >>

MTA's Toxic Towers in Van Nuys

Metro wants to cram 2,000 renters onto land that faces a Chevron oil plant

Dance Camera West Celebrates Choreography on Celluloid

Motion pictures

Van Nuys: A Great Undiscovered Restaurant Neighborhood

Beyond the valley of the dulls

Good Vibrations

Call to Order

Inside the messy democracy of a neighborhood meeting

A Cell Tower Grows in Van Nuys

The 'Burbs: When Hate Groups Follow You Home

Abandoning the Kids

Money problems close doors of beloved community centers

Books From Our Contributors

Uncommon Theater at Common Ground

ASK Theater Project’s Seventh Annual Festival