More than 100 people gathered at a loud party in an opulent mansion in Granite Bay, a highly affluent suburb of Sacramento, on New Year’s Eve, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Department.
The sheriff’s department responded to a noise complaint at the party in the gated community of Los Lagos Estates in front of Lake Folsom. The deputies did not issue citations.
“The deputies spoke to the owner of the house and told them not to make a noise,” said Angela Musallam, public information officer in the sheriff’s department. “We were not called after that initial contact. It was our first call. If we had to come several times, we would have quoted.”
Videos and photos of the party posted on social media show a crowd of people celebrating and drinking without masks, despite the state’s stay-at-home order that prohibits meetings to stem the spread of the coronavirus amid a global pandemic.
Although the party has clearly violated the order, Mussalam said the department has no authority to enforce it.
“The sheriff’s office has no authority to enforce these guidelines,” said Musallam. “That would have to be the state ultimately.
The house belonged to Hollywood comic actor Eddie Murphy from 1998 to 2007, according to an SFGATE story. Murphy sold the property after his divorce from model and Sacramento native Nicole Mitchell.
“This is a very rich community,” said Mussalam. “There is no access, unless the guard has your name. It looks like it was another exclusive party, but obviously a big meeting.”
Placer County is part of the Greater Sacramento region, where the home order remains in effect. On Saturday, the request was extended indefinitely. The order takes effect when the intensive care unit’s capacity drops below 15% in the region and can be suspended if the four-week ICU capacity projection exceeds 15%, according to the California Department of Public Health .
The California Department of Public Health said the state continues to see alarming positive case rates across the state and a record number of individuals hospitalized and in need of intensive care due to COVID-19. In response to the Granite Bay party, the department said, “This is not the time to be complacent – it is the time to redouble our efforts to protect ourselves, our families and our communities from this virus.”