L.A. mayor warns utilities will be shut off at houses throwing large parties amid pandemic

Attention, pandemic partiers: If you're in Los Angeles and you ignore orders against holding large gatherings, expect to get your water and power shut off.

Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday said that starting Friday night, if Los Angeles Police Department officers are called to a property and find that there is a big party taking place and there's evidence earlier gatherings also occurred, the department will ask the city to turn off the utilities within 48 hours.

Garcetti said that people are turning houses that are vacant or used for short-term rentals into "nightclubs in the hills," and "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."

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On Monday night, the LAPD fielded several calls from residents in the Beverly Crest neighborhood, complaining about a massive party. When officers arrived at the property at 7 p.m., there were about 200 people inside the mansion; although gatherings of any size are banned under Los Angeles County's coronavirus health order, the cops did not break up the party, the Los Angeles Times reports. Several hours later, there was a shooting at the property, which left one woman dead and three others injured.