INWOOD — The landlord of a commercial building is being sued by the city for selling and distributing alcohol without a license on three separate occasions, resulting in the arrest of four people, court records show.
The landlord, Triangle LLC, of 501 W. 207th Street, is being sued for allowing events earlier this year that drew large crowds and led to multiple arrests and police recovering money from the sale of alcohol, according to a lawsuit filed by the city last Wednesday.
The incidents began on April 23, when police found approximately 100 people inside the location at 6 a.m., acting as an “after-hours location,” records show. Police said there were several bottles at the location, with no valid liquor license, as well as someone with a knife, who was arrested for possession of a weapon. The record for the incident was sealed, police said.
Following that arrest, police again found more than a dozen people at approximately 5:20 a.m. on May 6 at the location. Police said they were able recover a loudspeaker and $388 from someone operating behind a bar. The man, Luis Santana, was arrested for the violating the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) law, records show. Police said he was charging people money to enter the building, as well as for the drinks, and he was also in possession of "assorted liquor bottles."
Again, approximately three weeks later on May 28, police found more than a dozen people at the entry of the location and several bottles of liquor inside, court records show. Police arrested two people for “operating” the space that morning and not having a license to sell or distribute liquor, according to the report. Police officials said there was no record of this arrest, however, on file.
The city is requesting that Triangle pay $1,000 for each day that the landlord "intentionally conducted, maintained or permitted the public nuisance," records show. Sources said the space — which previously housed a church, according to Department of Buildings records — was used for local events and other activities.
Triangle LLC, and a representative listed in city records as Jerry Dewaters, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The city claims Triangle has a “duty to be aware of the unlicensed warehousing” and sale of alcohol in the space, and should have obtained a liquor license.
