[Editor's Note: Arrest information is supplied by the Fairfield Police Department. It does not indicate convictions.]
[Editor's Note, Part II: This was originally published on Jan. 19; the publication date was changed for layout purposes.]
Updated Story, Jan. 27
Jaled Gorra, 41, owner of Casablanca Hookah Lounge at 86 Post Road, was served a warrant by Fairfield police on Thursday in connection to an investigation of underage drinking that reportedly took place at the lounge.
According to police, four teens (all under 16) entered the hookah lounge late on Sunday, Jan. 15, and openly consumed hard alcohol and smoked marijuana. Hookah lounges are not issued liquor permits: one must be 18 to legally enter and smoke, and patrons may bring their own alcohol.
The investigation was initiated after patrol officers were called to the lounge for an unrelated incident and witnessed the teens leaving Casablanca, police said. The case was referred to the Youth Bureau for follow up.
Gorra was charged with four counts of risk of injury to a minor, possession of narcotics, and permitting a minor to access alcohol, according to the police report.
Gorra was held in lieu of a $5,000 bond; his court date is Feb. 6.
Original Story, Jan. 19
Jaled Gorra, 41, of Grasmere Avenue and owner of Casablanca Hookah Lounge at 86 Post Road, was arrested Wednesday afternoon after he reportedly tried to break into the lounge, police said.
Fire department officials had shut down the smoking lounge on Monday following a call to police regarding suspected underage drinking at the lounge, department spokesperson Sgt. Sue Lussier said. The complainant believed there were 15 and 16-year-old girls drinking on the premises, according to the report.
Police arrived and stopped a car with two or three girls leaving the parking lot -- it appeared they had been drinking, according to the report. No arrests were made, but police are investigating the claims of underage drinking.
Police called the fire department to inspect the lounge; it was promptly shut down due to health and safety violations, Lussier said.
The lounge does not have a liquor license, according to police. You must be 18 to enter and smoke
Lussier said that the department has received 32 calls about Casablanca since July 2010, including general investigations to reports of harassment, noise complaints, and reports of assault, larcenies, narcotics violations, and breach of peace.
That log of calls does not include previous calls about Gorra, who has been reported to police several times before this arrest, Lussier said.
This time, the owner of the business next door reportedly saw Gorra attempting to enter Casablanca by smashing the glass on the front door, Lussier said. She called the building’s landlord, who called police.
When the responding officer arrived, Gorra said he needed to get into the building to get medication, Lussier said. There was glass all over the inside of the entrance to the lounge, according to the report.
Gorra was charged with disorderly conduct, Lussier said. He was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, because his status as a U.S. citizen is unclear, Lussier said. Gorra was issued a Jan. 23 court date.
