by A hookah parlor in Logan Heights has been closed, and its owners have been compelled to pay civil fines for years of illegal conduct and safety code breaches, according to the San Diego City Attorney’s Office on Monday.
The court-ordered judgment, which the City Attorney’s Office stated was the consequence of years of violent activities, drug sales, and a number of other infractions, requires the Secret Yard Hookah Lounge on Imperial Avenue to stop all business operations and advertising.
The defendants are required to pay $112,500 in penalties and investigative expenses; but, if the judgment is broken, there might be further penalties of $1.2 million.
Police were summoned to the company hundreds of times between 2021 and 2024 for a range of offenses, including fighting and gun violence, according to the City Attorney’s Office.
According to the City Attorney’s Office, the company was also tied to other criminal behavior, such as the attempted murder of a client by a bouncer and his family member and other patrons who were connected to a homicide.
Additionally, the company kept running despite many warnings about safety infractions and fire threats from state and municipal authorities.
According to San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert, this obnoxious company consistently put profits ahead of public safety and had no consideration for the communities it jeopardized. The Secret Yard is eventually and permanently closed after years of depleting police resources, evading necessary development licenses, and encouraging violence in a residential area.
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Although the venue’s operators were found guilty, the property owner is still facing legal action.
San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl stated, “Our community members deserve a vibrant neighborhood with bars, restaurants, and other businesses that operate safely and responsibly.”
For those involved, the shutdown of the Secret Yard is a big relief because it was a magnet for illicit behavior.
