LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Criminal charges have been filed against two TikTok stars who hosted two parties at a rented home in the Hollywood Hills, along with the owners of two other houses where large parties have been held during the coronavirus pandemic, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer announced today.
“If you have a combined 19 million followers on TikTok in the middle of a public health crisis, you should be modeling great behavior, best practices for all of us rather than brazenly violating the law and then posting videos about it as we allege happened here,'' Feuer said in announcing the charges against Bryce Hall, 21, and Blake Gray, 19.
The two are charged with one misdemeanor count each of causing a public nuisance by conducting a loud and unruly conduct gathering and violating the “Safer LA'' emergency declaration, according to the criminal complaint. They are set to be arraigned Sept. 11 at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse.
Hall and Gray hosted two parties at the home they share on Appian Way within less than a week, including an Aug. 14 celebration for Hall's birthday, according to the city attorney. Los Angeles police officers responded to both parties and stayed until the guests left, he said.
Police initially issued Hall a “party house citation'' on Aug. 8 and left a warning that parties are prohibited under the city's Safer LA order and that further violations may result in the power being shut off. Six days later, police returned to the house after getting a call about shots being fired and found several hundred people at a party, according to the City Attorney's Office.
Police didn't find any evidence that shots had been fired, but officers spoke with Gray, who acknowledged he was aware of the prior citation, Feuer said.
The city cut power to the Hollywood Hills home two weeks after Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that he would authorize the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to shut off utilities to homes and businesses that host “egregious'' gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Feuer also filed charges against Jianwei Bai, the 43-year-old owner of a home on Outpost Drive, and David Marvisi, the 59-year-old owner of a home on Sunset View Drive.
The two own homes have been the subject of numerous community complaints and both owners have received multiple citations for violating the city's party house ordinance and received a warning letter from the City Attorney's Office about potential prosecution, according to Feuer.
“Despite all these contacts, we allege the homes have continued to generate complaints and citations,'' he said.
Bai and Marvisi are also set to be arraigned next month.
Penalties can range up to a year in jail and up to $2,000 in fines, according to the City Attorney's Office.