Vancouver police arrest penthouse party host, fine 77 guests
Posted January 31, 2021 11:06 am.
Last Updated February 1, 2021 5:48 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — More than $17,000 in fines were issued by Vancouver police Sunday morning after a “makeshift nightclub” at a downtown penthouse was busted.
The VPD brought down the hammer on a repeat offender and hit each of his 77 guests with a $230 ticket “for attending a non-compliant event — contrary to the Emergency Program Act” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The penthouse, on Richards and Georgia street, is the same three-level apartment police visited last weekend. Police say after two more parties this weekend, they went to the building overnight with a search warrant.
Officers found dozens of maskless people packed into the 1,100-square-foot apartment, which had menus, tables, and cash tills.
“Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks the rules don’t apply to them,” Sgt. Steve Addison says. “If you are caught hosting or attending a party during the pandemic and continue to break the rules, you could face stiff fines or wind up in jail.”
The 42-year-old man who was hosting the party was arrested under the Public Health Act and taken to jail.
VPD issued more than $17,000 in fines Sunday morning and arrested a 42-year-old man who was operating a makeshift nightclub in his Richards Street penthouse. https://t.co/EB5e3y6Tep
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) January 31, 2021