LASD Arrests 90 In New Year's Eve Super-Spreader Enforcement Effort
/ KCAL News
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Friday that deputies arrested and cited 90 people for violating local health orders on New Year's Eve.
The @LASDHQ COVID-19 Super-Spreader Task Force conducted operations at five separate locations across the County of Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. Hundreds of detectives, patrol deputies, and Specialized Response Teams shut down super-spreader events in the cities of Hawthorne (1), Los Angeles (2), Malibu (1), and Pomona (1). The locations ranged from rented residences, vacant warehouses, hotels, and shuttered businesses.
During the evening, deputies made several arrests, conducted several advisements on proper COVID-19 safety protocols, and recovered several firearms. Overall, 90 adults were arrested and cited out for violation of the County's Safer at Home order (120275 H&S); one adult was arrested for possession of narcotics and loaded firearm (11370.1 H&S). Over 900 people were warned and advised of the updated Safer at Home Order, and five handguns were recovered from the super-spreader event in Hawthorne.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, "I have made it clear that we will seek out and take law enforcement action against all 'Super-Spreader' events occurring anywhere within Los Angeles County. The goal of these enforcement actions is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the risk to our vulnerable populations."
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will continue its "Super-Spreader" enforcement this evening. If you have information regarding "Super-Spreader" level events, please notify your nearest Sheriff's Station.
The arrests were by LASD's COVID-19 Super-Spreader Task Force, which shut down alleged super-spreader events in Hawthorne, Los Angeles, Malibu and Pomona. According to the department, the locations ranged from rented residences, vacant warehouses, hotels and shuttered businesses.
The department said deputies warned more than 900 people of the county's updated health officer order, with 90 adults arrested and cited for violation of that order. Officers also recovered five handguns from an event in Hawthorne, and one adult was arrested for possession of narcotics and a loaded firearm.
"I have made it clear that we will seek out and take law enforcement action against all super-spreader events occurring anywhere within Los Angeles County," Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a release. "The goal of these enforcement actions is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the risk to our vulnerable populations."
The department said it would continue its enforcement efforts Friday evening. Anyone with information about potential super-spreader events was asked to notify their nearest sheriff's station.
