Police: 'Don't Buy Into' Calabasas, Malibu Social Media Threats

CALABASAS, CA — The Lost Hills-Malibu Sheriff’s Station has assured residents not to worry about numerous posts on Twitter calling for looting and rioting in Calabasas and Malibu that were alluded to Monday morning by the city of Calabasas on its social media pages.

Acting Captain Chuck Becerra wrote on Facebook that by these do not represent a credible threat.

“This is occurring all over the country and is a customary tactic, used for decades to create fear. Don’t buy into it,” he said.

Becerra continued that the LASD has a specialized unit dedicated to finding and reviewing the postings, and by the time the posts are made public they have already been vetted by cyber crimes and criminal intelligence units to see if they’re credible.

“Our community has an abundance of manpower right now, and if we need more resources Sheriff Villanueva will send them,” Becerra wrote, before urging residents to stay at home.

Calabasas Mayor Alicia Weintraub has reposted Becerra’s message, and added that the two have been in constant contact since the beginning of the protests. Becerra wrote in another post Monday morning that “it was a quiet night throughout the communities we serve [Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, Westlake Village, Chatworth Lake Manor, Malibou Lake, Topanga, and West Hills] but deputies are on high alert and ready for anything.”