ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Three people are behind bars and accused of running an illegal after-hours bar in a mechanic shop in Orange County.
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The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it happened on West Lancaster Road off Orange Blossom Trail.
According to the arrest report, “undercover deputies paid a cover charge and then were permitted to enter” then “deputies successfully purchased alcohol after [2 a.m.].”
When more deputies showed up later, they arrested Sonia Vera, John Cruz and Maiqerli Guerrero, who are now facing charges for selling and serving alcohol after hours.
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Our crew went to that business Wednesday afternoon and were told by people there to leave the property and that they had no comment.
The law enforcement operation at the mechanic shop happened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
Meanwhile, about 10 miles away and an hour later, the deputies were investigating another scene where two men were killed in a shooting at another illegal nightclub. That one took place near North Pine Hills Road out of a business labeled as a tax office.
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“They’ve been doing that to my knowledge for like a year,” said one man we spoke with who works nearby where the shooting happened.
“They attract shootings and dangerous drugs being sold and gambling,” said Orange County Sheriff John Mina, talking about illegal after hours clubs, in an interview with Eyewitness News back in December.
That interview took place after yet a shooting at an after-hours club that same month. He said it’s a growing problem that needs to be addressed.
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Which is why last year after several incidents he started a task force to focus on this issue and is continuing to push lawmakers to help.
“Maybe if we had had stiffer penalties for these after-hours clubs operating illegally and selling alcohol till all hours of the morning, we can prevent this on the front end,” said Mina in that December interview.
Right now, the Sheriff’s Office said they are aware of about 100 of these types of businesses selling alcohol illegally.
He’s hoping a piece of legislation becomes law soon that would make the illegal sale and storage of alcohol a third-degree felony and even harsher penalties for repeat offenders.
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