The New York City sheriff's office shut down a party overnight in Queens with more than 200 guests.
The large gathering was at the Queens Luxe Banquet Hall on Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park. At around 1:30 Sunday morning, deputies arrived and found about 215 maskless people dancing and drinking.
“Partying more than like 20 people. 200? That’s too much. Everybody could get sick from that,” said one man who worked at bodega across the street from the venue.
The hall had reportedly been hosting a hookah party with a 45-person limit, and without a liquor license.
The owner and organizers were charged with multiple criminal and health offenses, according to the Sheriff's office official twitter account.
10/17/20 @ 0137HRS: Deputy Sheriffs shut down illegal bar/party event inside 106-09 Rockaway Blvd, Queens: 215+ people, no liquor license, illegal liquor storage and sales, violation of emergency orders, 4 organizers charged with multiple criminal, health ABC offenses. pic.twitter.com/rlu3kR8Vrz
— NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) October 17, 2020
Melanie Godinez and her family live in the neighborhood, which is not designated a COVID-19 hot spot.
“They are busting parties in Brooklyn but not here in my neighborhood so yeah it does concern me because if cases spike here I’m concerned about my family, we all live here, we all go to the store,” Godinez said.
According to the Sheriff’s office, the venue faces a fine of up to $15,000.