Two people, including a Burbank man, were arrested after what police said was a fight at the Tinhorn Flats Saloon and Grill, a local restaurant that has defied the statewide ban on in-person dining.
The fight involved five people and occurred on Tuesday at about 6:50 p.m., according to Sgt. Derek Green of the Burbank Police Department. Green said the altercation appeared to have been “fueled by differing political views,” with the argument turning physical and at least one person suffering cuts.
Officers arrested Steve Ceniceros, a Burbank resident, and Randi Berger of Tarzana on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Green said. He added that a razor blade may have been used in the incident and that one of the suspects had a stun gun. A police report listed three victims, who said the suspects used racial epithets, Green said.
Bail for Ceniceros and Berger was set at $30,000, according to Green. One of the victims was treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Tinhorn Flats was at the center of controversy in Burbank after its owner recently announced he was refusing to comply with county and state health orders prohibiting in-person dining. The eatery has also been something of a gathering place for anti-mask adherents and supporters of President Donald Trump, with the restaurant’s owner publicly saying the coronavirus pandemic has been overblown and claiming the number of deaths attributable to the disease is fake.
Many residents expressed outrage at the restaurant’s stance as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have skyrocketed, and some called on the city to take action against Tinhorn Flats.
City officials have said they have reported Tinhorn Flats to the county and state, which handle enforcement of the health orders, but noted that it will take some time before either agency can move forward in the process of possibly removing the restaurant’s health and alcohol licenses.
