Flags across the Southland were at half-staff Sunday as communities marked the tenth anniversary of 9/11 through ceremony and remembrance.
The bells at Culver City's City Hall rang at 6:59 a.m., the moment when the World Trade Center's South Tower collapsed.
More: Events Across Los Angeles | America Remembers 9/11
In Malibu, the lawn of Pepperdine University was covered with U.S. flags, one for every life lost on 9/11.
"I think of this as a wreath place in memorial to those who lost their lives on that day, " said Andrew Benton, President and CEO of Pepperdine University. "On this campus we decided we were never going to forget. We must learn from history or we're destine to repeat it."
Later this afternoon, the names of everyone who died in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania ten years ago will be read.
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters held services in front of the flag pole at each fire station throughout the county. The services began at 8:46 a.m. and conclude at 9:10 a.m. to mark the times planes were used as bombs by terrorists to knock down the World Trade Center Towers in New York.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and fire Chief Brian Cummings will lead a 9/11 ceremony in Elysian Park.
Increased Security, Jitters
The day's events caused heightened security around the area and some tense moments for travelers.
The LAPD increased ground patrols around refineries and other potential high-value targets for possible terrorists attacks.
After taking off from Los Angeles International Airport, a flight to John F. Kennedy Airport had to be escorted by two F-16 fighter jets when passengers were allegedly "behaving suspiciously" and refused to come out of a bathroom, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
But the incident appeared to be a false alarm. Witnesses said the passengers were most likely drunk and weren't listening to flight attendants' instructions. The flight proceeded with a normal landing after the flight captain and crew did not see any cause for alarm.
At the Port of Los Angeles, police increased helicopter, boat and land patrols.
"We have elevated police presence on the water and on the land,'' Lt. M. Capodanno of the Los Angeles Port Police said. "We know it's 9/11.''
Some of the added security included sea marshals, a dive team and helicopters from the Sheriff's Department, U.S. Coast Guard boats and officers from the Los Angeles and Long Beach police departments.
"We have a dedicated helicopter in the area of the Port of Los Angeles,'' said Los Angeles police Lt. John Pasquariello at the Harbor station. The chopper is working today exclusively above those three jurisdictions.
In another incident, a 62-year-old faces criminal charges for bringing a fake bomb aboard a metro bus, police said.
Eugenio Parades, 62, was detained at Vermont Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday and arrested on suspicion of making a terrorist threat.
Police said Parades made threats towards the driver and his bag was "a suitcase with wires exposed that looked like a device."
