Conn. bar owners charged with violating COVID-19 orders

DANBURY — Five local café owners were charged with violating public health emergency orders after allegedly ignoring prior warnings from police.

“While the Danbury Police Department is not actively seeking out violations of the governor’s COVID-19-related restrictions, one of our greatest functions is public safety and maintaining the peace,” Detective Lt. Mark Williams said.

“After receiving specific citizen complaints or discovering blatant violations while responding to calls for service, we will take enforcement action,” he said.

“Enforcement action in this regard generally begins with formal warnings and can escalate to an arrest when faced with repeated disregard of COVID-19 restrictions,” Williams said.

Genia Alvarez-Rodriguez, 45, and Manuel Honorato Andrade, 44 — owners of La Canchita Restaurant & Bar on Delay Street in Danbury — were arrested around 1 a.m. July 4, and charged with violating a public health safety order.

Williams said La Canchita “had multiple violations,” and the two owners were arrested after receiving one prior warning.

Segundo Velasquez, owner of the Red House Bar & Café on Keeler Street, and Juan Carlos Villa, owner of Fajitas and Margaritas on Main Street were arrested July 4, and charged with having “multiple violations” at their establishments, Williams said.

Velasquez, 47, received one warning prior to arrest, while 35-year-old Villa had been warned two times — on June 20 and June 28 — according to police.

The fifth person charged with violating a public health emergency order that weekend was Erika Fajardo-Sumba, owner of La Costeñita Bar & Restaurant on Ives Street.

Police said the establishment was cited for “multiple violations,” and the 34-year-old owner was arrested on the same charge on July 4 and July 5.

The July 4 arrests occurred when officers went downtown to “make sure bars and restaurants were in compliance” with Executive Order No. 7MM, according to police reports.

Among the violations observed by police included employees not wearing face masks while walking around, tables that weren’t 6 feet apart, food not being served and patrons ordering drinks at bar areas that had no partitions.

Fajardo-Sumba’s second arrest, on July 5, occurred after officers responded to a report of a fight at La Costeñita at 1:13 a.m. July 5, and found the same violations reported the night before, according to a police report.

A public health emergency order violation comes with a penalty of up to $1,000 in fines, one year of imprisonment, or both for each offense, according to state law.

All five café owners were released on promises to appear in court July 16. Their arraignments were later postponed to Aug. 27, according to court records.

The owners of El Bocano on Railroad Place and La Kabanita on White Street were issued formal warnings for violating Gov. Ned Lamont’s coronavirus pandemic restrictions over the Fourth of July weekend, police said.

“La Kabanita was given a warning for violations in regard to the executive order. However, a liquor referral was made,” Williams said.

Enforcement

Since Lamont started issuing executive orders to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Danbury Police Department’s enforcement approach of first asking for compliance and issuing warnings has not changed.

“Our process is to first visit and have a conversation with the manager and/or owner and give an informal warning,” Mayor Mark Boughton said.

“Sometimes people say, ‘OK, no problem,’ some don’t know what the regulations are, and some people just don’t want to (comply),” he said.