PALMDALE, Calif. — On Tuesday Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced details and results from an operation at a super-spreader event on Saturday, December 5, 2020, in Palmdale. The operation was done with extensive coordination and meticulous planning from various bureaus and units, including the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, Human Trafficking Force, Operation Safe Streets Bureau, Aero Bureau, three patrol squads of the Mobile Field Force Personnel, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department obtained information that a massive underground party would occur at a vacant house in Palmdale. Previous incidents revealed parties like these often involve drugs, prostitution, underage drinking, and violence.
During the well-executed operation on the 6300 blocks of West Avenue M8, 158 individuals were arrested; 116 of them were adults, and 35 were juveniles. Six firearms were confiscated. Most importantly, a girl that was categorized as a Commercially Sexually Exploited Child was rescued. The event was not only a violation of the Governor’s health order, but it was also criminal in nature.
Sheriff Villanueva asked local and state politicians to reconsider allowing the restaurant industry to re-open and instead target super-spreader events, which account for most COVID-19 transmissions.
“We will continue to apply common sense to our enforcement actions and weigh the letter of the law with the spirit of the law. It is my firm belief that this approach is a more efficient and effective means to manage the spread of this potentially deadly virus,” said Sheriff Villanueva.
