LASD's superspreader task force breaks up multiple stripper parties
LOS ANGELES - The underground party scene continues to rage across Los Angeles despite the pandemic.
For the past several weeks, FOX 11 tagged along with Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's superspreader task force as they crackdown on these illegal events.
On Friday night, LASD responded to a hole-in-the-wall flower shop in the city of Bellflower, where a "stripper party" was reportedly taking place inside.
As the task force broke the party up, a stream of partygoers began coming outside, including some women wearing fishnets and many others who appear to be simply wearing thongs, g-strings or just in their bra and underwear.
As the crowd left the flower shop, one of the women took the time to twerk in front of our FOX 11 cameras -- before being issued a citation.
Dozens of others were brought outside and sat on a curb awaiting their citations and masks.
"Inside the flower shop, there were in excess of 50 partygoers, most of whom were not wearing masks," said LASD Captain Ed Wells. "All of whom were arrested and issued a promise to appear."
The night before that, in the city of Commerce, we were embedded with LASD's superspreader task force once again, as they headed to a massive warehouse party with more strippers.
With no answer after several minutes of banging on the door, LASD made the following announcement:
"This is the LA County Sheriff's Department. You need to open the door and step outside. If you do not, you will be subject to arrest."
After deputies threatened to tow the vehicles, the partygoers started to stream outside.
LASD estimates about 200 people were inside and many seemed to want to keep partying.
"You better take me off that. My grandma would be very upset," someone told the FOX 11 crews.
Inside the warehouse was a desk distributor business. A row of desks had been converted into a stage, fixed with a stripper pole and a full DJ booth and a bar had been set up.
High heels were left in a hurry, a bra was tossed on the floor and deputies recovered a list for bottle service.
"Tonight's party was an event where the partygoers had to pay a promoter in order to gain entrance to the party," Captain Wells said. "Continuing with our zero-tolerance policy, we issued citations to all the partygoers."
And on another night, FOX 11 was with LASD's superspreader task force in downtown LA's Arts District as they broke up another party.
"Exit the building. Do it now!" LASD said on scene.
Partygoers began coming out of the building and within minutes, masses of people were detained outside.
Zero tolerance, as per LASD Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
The superspreader task force has detained close to 1,000 people over the last several weeks. They've gotten to a point where they're breaking up multiple parties in a single night.
LASD says any one of these partiers could unknowingly infect someone who is vulnerable.
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