Our last few years in California, we lived in a relatively safe area of Orange County, California, a suburb called Fountain Valley. Even with this insulation, I still didn’t walk our dogs. Because even if you think you live in a “safe” area of California, between the crazy homeless, the violent illegal immigrants, and the marauding youth, anyone can become a target. Stories like this are the proof. Thoughts and prayers for this young man’s family.

A man was fatally stabbed on the beach near the Santa Monica Pier Monday, and a homeless man has been arrested in connection with his death, according to police.

Police were called out to the beach just after 2 p.m. Monday, after reports of someone assaulting another person. When officers got there, they found the 27-year-old stabbing victim near the bathrooms with at least one stab wound to the chest.

Officers gave the victim first aid and CPR until fire department officials arrived. They were then able to bring him to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, police said. His identity has not been released.

A young man has died after being stabbed by a homeless person outside the Santa Monica bathrooms. He was walking his dog along the boardwalk at 2pm

How many more needless deaths must occur before our elected officials remove dangerous and mentally ill persons from our streets? https://t.co/1R3syL1zfj

— Soledad Ursua (@SoledadUrsua) August 3, 2023

Oh, they’ll just keep dying, and elected officials will continue to do nothing. A naked woman with a gun terrorized drivers in San Francisco in July. Aside from being evaluated, this poor, unfortunate soul is probably back on the street and will discard her clothes once again and find another weapon of choice to wield against the public. In this instance, no one died, but that is becoming the exception rather than the rule.

11:02 a.m. Sunday— A naked person is sunbathing on 1st Street, directly in front of #LosAngeles Police Department HQ.@LAPDChiefMoore @MayorOfLA… isn’t this a violation of L.A. municipal code?

When did the city stop enforcing this local law? pic.twitter.com/FlaCavLj1B

— Craig Fiegener (@CraigFiegener) July 30, 2023

It is well documented that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón cares nothing about homelessness or the rampant crime that has plagued Los Angeles and increased under his watch, especially in formally safe and toney areas of the County, like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood.

UPDATE: Another armed robbery occurring in #WeHo overnight outside the upscale celeb hotspot eatery @CraigsLA. Eyewitness News is live with the troubling trend worrying the neighborhood. This morning at 6 from ABC7 pic.twitter.com/OWogTFgnaS

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) August 3, 2023

A frightening robbery in West Hollywood was captured on video and the sheriff’s department is seeking the public’s help in finding three suspects involved.

The incident happened just after midnight on July 19 in the 800 block of Larrabee Street.

According to investigators, the victim was walking on the sidewalk when a black SUV stopped in front of him.

Three suspects armed with handguns and a rifle got out of the SUV, pushed the victim against a fence, and took his cell phone and wallet.

Video released by the sheriff’s department shows the men pointing their weapons at the victim as they dig through his pockets.

At one point, they knock the victim to the ground. Moments later, all three suspects take off running.

Interesting that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is supposedly on this case, so good luck with that. Former LAC Sheriff Alex Villanueva tried to warn about the rampant crime and do something about homelessness. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, aka The Girl-Boss Squad, chose to work against him and install a puppet in the Sheriff’s department who would do their bidding.

This is what “reimagined” public
safety looks like in LA. Props to the architect, George Gascon, and all his progressive enablers. That would include:@KarenBassLA @SupJaniceHahn @HollyJMitchell @kathrynbarger @LACoSheriffLuna
The @LosAngelesTimes will endorse them all! https://t.co/A2qU9t18xZ

— Alex Villanueva (@AlexVilanueva33) August 1, 2023

No folks this is not yesterday’s Gucci. This is today’s Louis Vuitton in LA. Any comments progressive leaders? Gascon?@KarenBassLA @SupJaniceHahn @HollyJMitchell @kathrynbarger https://t.co/RY4jIoP3JW

— Alex Villanueva (@AlexVilanueva33) August 2, 2023

As my colleague Ward Clark wrote, you get what you vote for.

These leftist cities have been rewarding homelessness for years. They have passed out free stuff galore: Free food, free needles, free blankets, free everything. The elected officials of these cities seem to be ignorant of a basic law of economics: What you reward, you get more of. They have been rewarding homelessness, and getting more of it, to the point where honest citizens are afraid to go out at night.

People are not only afraid to go out at night—they’re afraid to go out, period. These brazen crimes are happening in broad daylight because criminals have no fear of reprisal. Our elected betters continue to enable their actions by allowing RV encampments to overrun once peaceful suburbs and enforcing sanctuary city policies that keep criminal illegals safe.

Gavin Newsom is proud California is a Sanctuary State. Because of this reckless policy, a Sacramento man was released from jail and eluded an ICE detainer. Days later, he murdered his three daughters.

The No Sanctuary for Criminals Act will assure this never happens again. pic.twitter.com/CnMhSkDDM6

— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) August 2, 2023

It has gotten to the point where even the Oakland NAACP is demanding the government declare a state of emergency. On July 28, they released a statement.

The statement, written by Oakland NAACP president Cynthia Adams and Bishop Bob Jackson of Acts Full Gospel Church, blasted soft-on-crime local officials as well as left-wing activism for the surge in crime.

“Failed leadership, including the movement to defund the police, our District Attorney’s unwillingness to charge and prosecute people who murder and commit life threatening serious crimes, and the proliferation of anti-police rhetoric have created a heyday for Oakland criminals,” Adams and Jackson wrote.

Adams and Jackson also said that African Americans were disproportionately affected by crime and criticized misguided attempts to alleviate racism by refusing to prosecute violent offenders.

And businesses are crying out over the massive losses, some shuttering their doors.

Californians have two choices: Fight back or flee. Some of the Alameda County small business owners are fighting back, attempting to hold the police department and their soft-on-crime district attorney accountable. Ward Clark also spotlighted this New York City bodega owner who chose to take matters into his own hands rather than wait for a law enforcement (non)-response, and it may be a bellwether for what is occurring with California small businesses.

Sikh shop owner gets robbed

The customer goes from, “There’s nothing u can do” to “That’s what u call whoopin your a**”

This needs to happen in crime infested California

Well done to the shop owner! pic.twitter.com/hjC6WNXEdT

— 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐢 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 (@RevivalofMan) August 2, 2023

The state may see more of this type of justice as businesses struggle over the reality that they have been abandoned by the very system that bilks them of their tax dollars which should be providing for these services. Major corporations are shuttering their doors in California communities because of the high price of theft, but small business owners have no such recourse. They fight, die, or leave. It is the same story with middle-class individuals and families. The high-income earners have already gotten the memo and are taking their tax dollars elsewhere.

California ranks first among states experiencing the worst net negative tax income migration. With a staggering net loss of $343.2 million, the Golden State is witnessing an outflow of high-income earners.

Despite its numerous attractions, from the booming tech industry and world-class universities to beautiful landscapes and cultural richness, California’s high personal income tax rates seem discouraging for many high-wealth individuals. This, coupled with the state’s high cost of living, will likely fuel a wealth migration out of California.

Others, like my husband and I, claw our way out with barely the clothes on our backs. According to United States Census Bureau data, California’s population, which started to decline during the pandemic, continues to shrink.

In new data published by the Census Bureau this week, it’s estimated that California’s population shrunk by approximately 113,649 people from July 2021 to July 2022.

There was a net gain across the state in “Natural Change,” the number of births (420,000) and deaths (318,000) during that time frame. But a net loss of more than 217,000 people was recorded as people left the state to move elsewhere.

More than half of California’s 58 counties lost population during that timeframe.

But the state’s most populous county—Los Angeles—has experienced the hardest hit.

But no county is feeling the effects of population decline quite like Los Angeles County. From July 2021 to July 2022, the nation’s most populous county saw its population shrink by more than 90,000 people — more than five times as much as the next closest county, San Mateo.

There are still people staying in the fight, many of them our RedState colleagues and friends. But if the policies and the political animals that keep encouraging these policies do not change, California as we know it will be burned out of existence.