3 people charged after throwing 700-person mansion party in New Jersey

Airbnb owner removed from the rental listing for knowingly violating the company’s COVID-19 mandate, prohibiting large gatherings at properties secured through the site

More than 700 people were asked to leave from a party at an Airbnb in Jackson, New Jersey on Sunday night.

The Jackson Police Department charged the homeowner, Yaakov Weiss, and party organizers, Patience Guanue and Alicia Hinneh, for violating the governor’s executive order limiting gatherings. 

READ MORE: Teen dies after party exposes her to COVID-19, mom gives drug as cure

In a Facebook post, the Jackson PD wrote that officers spoke with residents who told them that a “residence had been rented out to a group having a large party which was causing a disturbance in the neighborhood.” 

According to the post, the homeowner was aware of the event and told officers that he had rented it for a party. 

Officers monitored the home noting that over 700 people and over 100 cars were parked in the area. They began to disperse the crowd after obtaining authorization to file charges from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. 

The Facebook post noted that it took hours for more than seven police agencies to secure the area and direct traffic. Further, an act of trespassing took place at a second residence as party-goers went to another neighboring home. 

red cup party theGrio.com
Party gatherers raise a toast (Twitter)

Captain Steven Laskiewicz, the Investigations Division Commander of the Jackson PD, wrote that it took until 1 a.m. to “clear the residences of the party attendees and all of the vehicles from the neighborhood without any further incidents.” 

A spokesperson for Airbnb told The Hill that the company is in contact with the city and has deactivated the listing of the home. 

“We strongly condemn the reported behavior, which represents both a clear violation of Airbnb’s community policies and a particularly serious abuse during this public health crisis,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

READ MORE: Viral video shows countless people defy social distancing, revel at jam-packed Chicago house party

Gatherings were banned that violate local health mandates by Airbnb in April due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

New Jersey has started to see the ease of the initial devastation that the state experienced early in the pandemic. More than 13,000 people died from COVID-19. In Ocean County where the party occurred, nearly 1,000 people died from the highly-transmissible virus. 

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