City Attorney of San Francisco
A screenshot of the surveillance footage showing people entering and exiting the unlicensed club.
- San Francisco police shut down a nightclub that was allegedly operating illegally during the regionwide shelter-in-place order that went into effect on March 17.
- No arrests have been made, but video footage shows more than 150 people entering and exiting the building in early April.
- The order directs residents to remain inside their homes and avoid mass gatherings and requires nonessential businesses, like nightclubs, to close.
- The building was already being used as an unlicensed nightclub since February.
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San Francisco police shut down an underground nightclub over the weekend that had been allegedly operating illegally during the shelter-in-place order.
As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, video footage - published by the City Attorney's Office - caught as part of an investigation showed more than 150 people entering and leaving the facilities between April 4 and 6, with no one practicing social distancing. The video also showed 20 to 30 cars parked near the site each hour.
On April 8, a City Attorney's Office investigator saw cars coming and going as well as groups of people entering and not practicing social distancing. The investigator could also hear loud music coming from inside.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant on Friday. The warrant allowed police to position their patrol cars in front of the pink warehouse to prevent people from entering.
Police also raided the building, confiscating DJ equipment, two fog machines, gambling machines, pool tables, bins of liquor, beer, $670 in cash, and bar furniture, among other items according to the City Attorney's Office.
No one was arrested during the raid, but law enforcement could file criminal charges as the investigation remains ongoing.
The incident is a large-scale example of people in San Francisco violating the shelter-in-place order that went into effect on March 17 and has been extended through April in an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak within the city.
As part of the order, nonessential businesses are required to close, including nightclubs and entertainment venues. Residents are also directed to remain inside their homes as much as possible, and large gatherings are prohibited.
"Cramming dozens of people into an illegal club during this outbreak is like dropping a lit match in the woods during fire season," City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement. "Who knows how far the damage will spread? It's the epitome of irresponsibility."
Herrera said the landlords of the building, located in the city's Bayview neighborhood, are cooperating with the investigation, according to a recent Chronicle report.
The current COVID-19 public health emergency aside, the building was already being used as an unlicensed nightclub.
According to the Chronicle, the nightclub had been operating under the guise of a janitorial company since early February. Mariano Pena Lazama leased the facilities for a cleaning business but then handed it over to club operators who ran illicit events that began after midnight and carried well into the early hours of the morning.
Lezama could not be reached for comment from the Chronicle.
The San Francisco Bay Area has been operating under a shelter-in-place order since March 17. There are 987 confirmed cases, with 15 reported deaths.
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