Skateboard Champ and Four Others Busted in L.A. Superspreader Party Crackdown

Nyjah Huston, the four-time world skateboarding champion and X Games gold medalist, is one of five people charged by Los Angeles prosecutors late last week for allegedly organizing large parties that had the potential to become superspreader events in violation of COVID-19 safety orders.

As the Los Angeles Times reports, Huston and Edward Essa, the owner of an alleged party house on Curson Avenue in Fairfax, have been charged with the misdemeanor offense of creating a nuisance after several visits by the police failed to curb their fêtes, causing Mayor Eric Garcetti to order the house’s electricity turned off.

In January, LAPD officers responding to a complaint about a crowd at a “social media influencer residence” cleared about 40 people from the property, where law enforcement had previously shut down festivities and issued warnings on September 12-13 and October 17.

The latest charges are nothing new to Huston, who has 4.5 million Instagram followers and is reportedly the highest paid skateboarder in the world. In fact, his partying was getting him in legal trouble long before the pandemic was even a thing.

In 2019, he got two years probation when he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace to avoid a felony battery charge for allegedly breaking a man’s nose at a 2017 house party. In 2014, he was hit with a noise violation shortly after moving to San Juan Capistrano, and racking up more than 20 complaints from his neighbors.

“We’re in constant conversation with the DA about this,” Lt. Jeff Hallock of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said at the time. “[Public nuisance] charges have not been filed, but I think there are plans to do that.”

Rob Morey, who lived across the street from the skater, concurred. “[Huston] has no respect for any of his neighbors,” he said. “His parties are getting out of hand, and property is getting damaged.”

Huston was such a welcome addition to the area that his neighbors reportedly got their own party on when he finally sold the party pad and tried his hand at adulting in Laguna Beach.

In a case unrelated to Huston’s, Hermelinda Nicolas De Ruiz is facing similar charges for allegedly hosting roughly 150 guests at a New Year’s party in her Salon Oaxaca property in downtown L.A. Brandon Miller and Oshri Elmorich are accused of organizing several underground parties at Hidden River, a “private speakeasy” on La Brea Avenue.

City prosecutor Mike Feuer expressed frustration with people “connected to properties where we allege that large indoor parties were held in violation of public health orders,” saying, “During this emergency, my office has held those individuals and businesses who have had large indoor gatherings, violating important public health and safety orders, accountable […] this enforcement is particularly important because party houses can produce superspreader events that jeopardize public health. We’re taking the steps to shut them down.”

RELATED: Threats and Restrictions Aren’t Putting a Damper on L.A.’s Rule-Flouting Underground Party Scene

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