Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) on Wednesday announced an authorization he gave to city employees to shut down power and water to houses and businesses that are holding parties, a clear defiance of his stay-at-home order.
According to the Fox affiliate in Los Angeles, Garcetti made the announcement after a house party took place in Beverly Crest, a neighborhood on the west side of the city. Partygoers were dancing and socializing as though the nation was no longer in the middle of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. At the end of the night, a shooting broke out at the house. One person died and two others were injured.
Police had shown up to the home earlier in the evening, but officers couldn't do anything, KTLA-TV reported. The music was at an appropriate level and people followed directions. Officers did cite and impound vehicles that were blocking driveways.
The move comes after a massive mansion party took place in #BeverlyCrest on Monday night. It ended with a shooting that left one woman dead and two other critically injured. Police tell us the party on Mulholland Drive was gang related. The party was not broken up. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/9mLJuwD8iB
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 6, 2020
The city has attempted to quell parties by implementing stronger fines and potential for arrest, although that isn't deterring people.
From the Los Angeles Times:
Following the latest party, officials emphasized that the L.A. County Department of Public Health “has issued a legally binding health officer order that prohibits gatherings, including parties, during this pandemic in order to protect the health and lives of county residents” — with violations punishable by fines and/or imprisonment.
And L.A. Councilman David Ryu introduced a motion Wednesday to increase penalties and provide additional enforcement options against property owners who defy city laws or building and safety rules, including the city’s 2018 party-house ordinance.