Feldstein Soto sues alleged illegal 30-property rental ring
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto filed a civil enforcement action Thursday against four defendants accused of running an illegal short-term rental operation spanning at least 30 properties across the city, including rent-stabilized units ineligible for home-sharing.
The lawsuit names Dylan Abekasis, Arie Abekasis, Rajaa Chraibi and Marcelle Melka, alleging they used expired or invalid Home-Sharing Registration numbers, falsely claimed some properties sat outside Los Angeles to dodge city rules, and advertised the units on Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com. The city is seeking an injunction, restitution to affected tenants, and statutory civil penalties.
“With an affordable housing crisis, a homelessness crisis, and many Angelenos still dealing with the devastating impacts of the wildfires, exploitation like this will not be tolerated. Those who seek to profit by breaking our laws and preying on vulnerable Angelenos will be held accountable,” said Feldstein Soto.
The suit also alleges the defendants illegally raised rental prices by more than 10% in the wake of the January 2025 wildfires, which displaced more than 100,000 Angelenos — a violation of state and city price-gouging laws that remain in effect during declared emergency extensions.
Feldstein Soto’s office said it attempted to resolve the matter before litigation, including cease-and-desist letters and subpoenas, but the defendants ignored those efforts.
Mitchell expands community budget to Willowbrook, Athens-Westmont
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell (D-Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, Compton, Carson) announced a $1.45 million expansion of her 2nd District Community Budget on Thursday, extending the participatory budgeting program to give Willowbrook and Athens-Westmont residents direct say over how public funds are spent in their neighborhoods.
The expansion allocates $600,000 to Willowbrook and $850,000 to Athens-Westmont, building on the program’s 2023 pilot, which invested $1.7 million in Ladera Heights and Florence-Firestone. The new phase is expected to reach 33,400 Willowbrook residents and 43,200 Athens-Westmont residents, who can submit ideas and vote on community priorities.
“I am proud to be expanding our participatory budgeting program to reach more residents in our unincorporated communities. The success from our landmark pilot was a reflection of co-governance at its best and demonstrated what is possible when our residents have a direct say in how their public funds are spent. What became possible was more access to job readiness support and career opportunities, beautification projects, rental assistance to help residents stay housed, and so much more,” said Mitchell.
Residents 16 and older can apply to serve on the program’s Advisory Committee at Mitchell.LACounty.gov/CommunityBudget through the Sept. 18 deadline; virtual information sessions are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 2 and Sept. 16.
Community organizations interested in becoming Community Engagement Partners for outreach funding can also sign up through the same office.
Schiff, Padilla fight federal threat to California’s coast
U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (D-CA) are leading a group of California lawmakers pushing back on the Trump administration’s move to strip the state of its authority to manage its own coastline.
The lawmakers sent a letter Thursday to NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs condemning the administration’s decision to launch a formal review of California’s coastal management program under the Coastal Zone Management Act — a law that has governed state-federal coordination over coastal development for 50 years.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has accused California of “repeatedly obstructing spaceport development in bad faith,” a claim the lawmakers dispute.
“This extraordinary federal review, which singles out California, is based upon a thinly veiled and non-evidential argument. It is an attempt to curb our state’s federally approved authority to evaluate offshore energy, infrastructure, and commercial activities. We ask that if you proceed with this review, you commit to respecting states’ rights and cooperative federalism as is consistent with the CZMA,” the lawmakers wrote.
If NOAA proceeds and strips California’s authority, the state would lose its ability to coordinate with the federal government on coastal development, offer mitigation for coastal projects, or access related federal funding, according to the letter.
The lawmakers noted California contributes nearly $700 billion to the federal government — $83 billion more than it receives back.
Long Beach marks Coastal Act’s 50th with cleanup day call
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson is calling on residents to join the city’s 42nd Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, set for between 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 19 at 10 locations across the city.
The Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine is organizing this year’s event, which the city is expanding to 15 cleanup locations along the coastline and interior beaches — nearly double last year’s footprint.
The cleanup is part of a statewide event led by the California Coastal Commission marking the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act, the 1976 law that created the Commission to regulate development and protect public access along the state’s 1,100-mile shoreline.
“We invite our Long Beach community to join this year’s California Coastal Cleanup Day and help care for the shoreline we all cherish. This year is especially meaningful as communities across California commemorate 50 years of the California Coastal Act and its Commission that has been dedicated to protecting our coast over the last five decades. Coming together for this cleanup is a powerful way to honor that legacy and ensure our beaches and marinas remain vibrant, healthy spaces for generations to come,” said Richardson.
More information is available by contacting the El Dorado Nature Center at (562) 570-1745 or visiting lbcity.info/naturecenterevents.
