Party mansions will have their power cut, says Los Angeles mayor

RESIDENTS of Los Angeles face having their water and electricity shut off if they hold large parties in violation of coronavirus restrictions.

Eric Garcetti, the city’s mayor, announced the stringent new measures following a series of wild parties − some of them at mansions in the Hollywood Hills.

He said the gatherings were “superspreader events” and the guests were “super-spreader people”. Mr Garcetti added: “These large house parties have essentially become nightclubs in the hills. The consequences of these large parties ripple far beyond just those parties.

“They ripple throughout our entire community because the virus can quickly and easily spread.”

If police establish that parties are repeatedly being held at a property the city’s Department of Water and Power will shut off services within 48 hours, starting from tonight.

Nightclubs and bars in the city are closed and large gatherings banned. Sheila Irani of the Hollywood United

Neighbourhood Council, said: “Since Covid they’ve moved all the parties to the Hollywood hills. The kids are going stir crazy.”

Some party hosts and guests have posted images of themselves on social media flouting restrictions.

A mansion party on Monday night on Mulholland Drive ended in gunfire.

A 35-year-old woman died and police found several people injured on the drive when they responded to a call at 1.15am.

About 200 people were at the party and residents reported seeing guests arriving on buses and in flash cars. Helicopter footage showed guests without masks crammed around a swimming pool and on balconies.

Lt Chris Ramirez, of the LA Police Department, said: “When officers arrived they noticed large amounts of people on the roadway and vehicles kind of blocking, double parked and stuff, stacked on the roadway.”

He said officers had gone to the property earlier in the evening following calls from neighbours, but there had been little they could do.

“It was a private party, it was indoors,” he said. “The main thing is how do you enforce the fact that it was a private party? If it’s a public gathering, it might be different.”

Police said they were treating the incident at the party as a gang-related shooting. Mr Garcetti said many of the parties were being held at mansions that had been rented on a short-term basis.

California has so far recorded more than 530,000 cases of coronavirus, and nearly 10,000 deaths.

Nearly 40 per cent of the cases have been in or near Los Angeles.

Mr Garcetti said: “This enforcement is not focused on small and ordinary gatherings in people’s homes. These are focused on the people determined to break the rules, posing significant public dangers and a threat to all of us.”