Recent incidents involving Pepperdine students and the local group Malibu Locals Only, or MLO, provokes a look into their identity.
By Kyle Jorrey
Sports Editor
Not more than a month into the school year, Pepperdine students commuting from the other side of the canyon took notice of a spray-painted message that appeared overnight above the Malibu Canyon and Kanan tunnels that signaled their entrance into the famous beachside city.
The message, written crudely in black spray paint, read— “MLO, Locals Only.”
Though most simply shrugged off the warning as an act of youthful vandalism, the message, which remained above the tunnel for nearly a month before authorities painted over it, turned out to be a foreshadowing of things to come.
In recent weeks, MLO, or Malibu Locals Only, has been featured on a “Fox 11 News” report and a Malibu Times front-page story because of alleged beatings attributed to the group. Then, two weeks ago, on March 17, a brutal fight broke out at the Malibu Inn between Pepperdine students and suspected members of MLO. Though no witnesses have come forward and no arrests were made, two students who were in attendance told the Graphic one student was beaten severely and had to seek medical attention.
In addition to the incident at the Malibu Inn, the Graphic has learned of a number of other incidents involving Pepperdine students and alleged MLO members, ranging from minor arguments to serious attacks of violence. But, as was the case with the fight at the Inn, those who witnessed the events wish to stay anonymous.
But who, or what is MLO? According to a source who agreed to speak only on the condition of anonymity, a 22-year-old who was born and raised in Malibu, the term got its start among a group of surfers who wanted to keep the area’s wave breaks to locals only.
“It started with surfers who wanted to stop people from Los Angeles and the Valley from surfing their beaches. It was a territorial thing,” the source said.
Over time, he explained, it became a form of protection from street gangs who would visit the ocean over the weekend.
“Back in the day, it was creating a sort of gang for Malibu because gangs were coming in,” he said. “It was a way for us, for white surfer kids to defend ourselves. Crips and Bloods were coming in and going to the beaches for the weekend, going to Malibu High parties and causing problems.”
The term MLO began to be used by even people outside the original group.
“It’s just an established saying, hey, ‘Malibu locals only,’” the source said. “If you grow up in Malibu by the time you’re in sixth or seventh grade you’ve seen MLO written up somewhere … I mean, I’ve spray painted MLO before, I’ve just never taken it seriously.”
But apparently, some of the community do. Pepperdine senior Santiago Mavon, 21, said he has noticed a rise in tension between the group and students just in the last few months.
“I’ve known about them, but up until this semester I haven’t had an encounter,” Mavon said. “I thought it was mostly just a group of surfers, I didn’t know about them getting in fights.”
Recently, Mavon explained, he and a few friends had a run in with supposed members at local tavern, the Dume Room. Though no fight occurred, Mavon said he got a feel for what the group is about.
“When they get drunk they just get obnoxious and they get into fights by overpowering the person they are attacking,” he said. “They come in a big group and they don’t care if it’s five-on-one, ten-on one. They just want to hurt that person.”
Despite the problems that have gone on between MLO members and students, Mavon said he doesn’t believe the attacks are organized or targeted.
“I don’t think it’s a Pepperdine thing, they are just against anyone who isn’t a local to Malibu,” he said. “I just think it’s easy for them to go after Pepperdine kids because they are more easily noticed, and because they don’t like the whole private school, Christian, rich-kid thing, even though they are probably rich kids themselves.”
Dave agreed.
“It’s just about keeping out non-locals, and to them, a non-local is anyone who lives on the other side of the canyon,” he said. “In their minds, if you don’t live a mile from the beach you are a kook and you don’t deserve to come here.”
Despite the recent media attention given to MLO, Lost Hills Sheriff Detective J.P. Manwell said the issue has been blown out of proportion.
“It’s something that has basically gotten a lot more play than it probably deserves at this point, in my eyes,” Manwell said. “How we document gangs, the criteria we use — this group doesn’t even come close.”
“This is a case of some individuals that hang around at local parties,” Manwell added. “They’re becoming heavy-handed, which isn’t much different from any other community. You have Calabasas and El Camino rivalries. But incidents that happen at parties tend to get more serious — people are hitting people with bottles, with sticks.”
When asked about the two documented attacks, both of which occurred at Malibu parties and were credited to MLO, Manwell said they are under investigation. In one of those fights, the victim was nearly beaten to death by a group of five or more.
“There have been a few parties where people have gotten hurt, and that’s a valid concern,” the detective said. “We are always taking special steps. Anytime we have a case that involves a fight at a party or a rumored group we look into it. The unfortunate thing is in these parties and fights that happen, we’ve either got credibility problems because people involved have been drinking and can’t identify anyone, or people aren’t doing the right thing and coming forward.”
Manwell said that while some community members have expressed concern about the group and future incidents, there has not been an overwhelming reaction.
According to the anonymous, who said he has never been a member but knows many of them, he believes the acts are being carried out by a younger, more dangerous group of Malibu locals who are taking a local tradition too far.
“They are romanticizing the whole thing; it’s this whole fantasy that Malibu is their land and they are sworn to protect it,” he said. “There are just young, dumb and have nothing better to do.
“I always thought it was just a high school thing that died when you got a degree, this MLO stuff,” he added. “When you turn 18 you understand it is just a way of life, a way of thinking, but it is an ignorant way of thinking … It’s sad when you got these guys out here who are 35, have ‘MLO’ tattooed on their backs and they are still getting in fights with people at the beach — some just never learn to progress.”
Mavon said that while these most recent events may not be too much cause for concern, you never know where the violence could lead.
“I think maybe (Pepperdine) should be worried because this could get to a point where things turn ugly and some Pepperdine student gets really hurt,” he said. Mavon pointed out that after the events of two weeks ago, the Inn has begun frisking customers.
Manwell said feelings are mixed among those in the community.
“We haven’t been inundated with calls with the exception of a small group who believe they are a very serious, viable threat. And I wouldn’t discount those people because you never know what anybody’s capable of. But is this more extraordinary than any other cases in others areas? I would say the answer is no.”
Submitted April 1, 2004