TikTok influencers Blake Gray and Bryce Hall face criminal charges for hosting "mega-parties" in the Hollywood Hills despite a city ban on large gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic, authorities announced on Friday.
Why it matters: Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer described the charges as a part of a "crackdown" on house parties that pose a risk to public health.
- Mayor Eric Garcetti authorized local authorities to shut off utilities at locations that host large gatherings during the pandemic at the beginning of August.
Details: Hall and Gray face misdemeanor charges for violating the city’s pandemic health order and a party house ordinance for the Aug. 8 and. Aug. 14 parties, attended by hundreds of guests.
- Penalties include up to one year in jail and up to $2,000 in fines, authorities said.
- The owners of the two houses where the parties were held were also charged.
What they're saying: "With hundreds of people attending, loud music all night long and cars blocking access for emergency vehicles, party houses are really out of control nightclubs," Feuer said in a statement.
- "As if that weren’t enough, the hosts are incredibly irresponsible, with COVID-19 spreading and parties banned because of it. We’ve got to put a stop to it," Feuer added.
- "If you have a combined 19-million followers on TikTok during this health crisis, you should be modeling good behavior — not brazenly violating the law and posting videos about it, as we allege."
Of note: Though there aren't any known cases of COVID-19 linked to the parties, the two-week stretch during which symptoms could appear has not yet passed, AP writes.
