Sports Grill Flagrantly Disobeys Health Order, With Malibu-Lost Hills Permission

Los Angeles County surpassed another grim milestone in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday … with 8,000 total deaths now reported.

A continuing wave of sick patients threatens to overwhelm the healthcare system. The vaccines cannot arrive soon enough.

At current levels of infection, L.A. County could see by next week as many as 700 new coronavirus patients admitted each day to hospitals based on current projections.

About 10% of the positive cases end up needing hospital care … the average is between five to seven days in the hspital on average.

With the county on a record-breaking streak of daily new cases capping on Sunday with more than 10,000, it’s not hard to see how the number of hospital admissions could quickly skyrocket even more than they are currently.

Intensive care units in Southern California are now 91 percent full … the region grapples with a full-blown and deadly health care crisis.

Flash points are growing between a public that overwhelmingly support closing down until vaccines arrive … and people who want to keep their social lives and economy going.

And one flash point is on Kanan Road … just north of the 101 Freeway.

And the L A sheriff’s Malibu Lost Hills sheriff’s station is taking sides … on the side of anti-shutdown activists.

Cronies Sports Bar is a chain of three bars in the Conejo Valley.

They are defying the recent order to close down outdoor dining.

A raucous crowd was in an outdoor pavilion … essentially a tent converted into and outdoor room.

Owner David Foldes was working the crowd.

NEWSCART 73127 CRONIES 1111

“And then you had the sheriff’s department.

“And guess what they said??

[VOICE IN CROWD, OFF MIC, BEEPED ON AIR:]  “Fuck you?”

[FOLDES:]  “No … they called me personally here tonight.

“I answer the phone … the captain … Captain Becerra … and he said ‘Dave you’re the owner’ and I said ‘yes’ and he said ‘I just want you to know …

“ ‘We support you guys a hundred percent in what you’re doing.

[CHEERS]

“ ‘Our department is 100 percent behind you you will not get arrested nor will he come and take down your tents and take all your tables away.’

[GREAT CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

“Cronies wins baby!

“Cronies wins!

“This is all true …

“This is all true.”

This comes the day after Malibu Lost Hills sheriffs captain Chuck Becerra publicly pronounced that his department would assist businesses in openly defying the health orders.

Becerra made a statement on social media:

“Please know that I will not force any business to shut their doors. 

“Nor will I enforce a Health Order that curtails a business.”

Becerra went on to say it was his finding that every business is essential right now … every job is important.    

At Cronies Monday night … owner David Feldes insists he understands the seriousness of the Covid disease.

He says his father … 82-years-old in New York … was killed by COVID.

But he says he knows the seriousness of survival of a business, and having job.

And … the owner of the bar knows how to cultivate the cops.

NEWSCART 73128 CRONIES 222

“By the way … if you see the PLICE tonight give them a thumbs up.

“I don’t know if you saw them driving around tonight.

“They gave us a ‘woo hoo.’

“They are on our side.

“And if they asked you to move move a little bit because they have gt a hard job a tough job to do everybody

“We looooove the police here at Cronies Sports GRILL…

“That’s how we roll here

“And we respect them

“But let me tell you something.

“This is about fairness and by you being here … you are telling us you agree with us.’ ”

Video of the event shows many patrons are very close together … and many patrons were not wearing masks as they ate.

Also in evidence … banners supporting Donald Trump.

It looked and sounded like an indoor Trump rally

Public health has threatened to yank the license of any restaurant flaunting the shutdown rules.

But without sheriff’s office support … there is no enforcement.

And the owner of the bar is soaking up the attention in that.

NEWSCART 73129 CRONIES BRUNCH

“I think we are doing brunch n Sunday! [Cheers]

“I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Yesterday … a judge in Los Angeles ruled that the county’s shutdown of outdoor dining was illegally vague.

But … the statewide shutdown order supersedes the county order … meaning that the sheriff is deciding not to enforce state law at a time that ICU units are nearly full … and medical workers are beginning to drop from exhaustion.

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