Earlier this month, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti threatened to shut off the power at notorious party houses. It turns out he wasn’t bluffing.
On Wednesday, Garcetti authorized the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to disconnect service at a Hollywood Hills house that hosted “several large parties” despite both city and county orders that very clearly state that parties are off limits right now.
“Despite several warnings, this house has turned into a nightclub in the hills, hosting large gatherings in flagrant violation of our public health orders,” Garcetti said in a statement. “The City has now disconnected utilities at this home to stop these parties that endanger our community.”
Today I authorized the City to disconnect utility service at a house in the Hollywood Hills to stop the large parties held there in flagrant violation of our public health orders. Parties like these can quickly and easily spread the virus and put our communities at risk.
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) August 19, 2020
Though Garcetti’s statement doesn’t identify the house, both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times report that it’s the residence of a bunch of TikTok stars, most notably Bryce Hall. The city responded to reports of large gatherings at the house on August 8 and 14; when the Los Angeles Police Department visited the property during that second date, they came with a notice that the matter was being referred to the mayor’s office. Interestingly, the New York Times points out that this house isn’t the one that grabbed headlines for Hall’s 21st birthday party last week—that was a rental home in Encino.
Garcetti first announced a crackdown on party houses on August 5, saying that he would instruct LADWP to cut off service to “the egregious cases in which houses, businesses and other venues are hosting unpermitted large gatherings.” That announcement came a day after a more general reminder from the county that parties of any size are banned by the current public health order. Since then, the LAPD has referred three party houses for potential service cuts, according to the L.A. Times, and issued citations to 13 homes in one weekend alone (most of them complied with police orders to disperse).
So if you’re keeping count, that’s Garcetti: 1. Illegal house parties that keep pushing us further from being able to reopen again: A depressingly too-high number to count.