Party Of Over 400 Shut Down By Howell Police Amid Pandemic

HOWELL, NJ – A 400-person gathering, whose host reportedly charged a hefty entrance fee, was broken up by Howell police on Sunday.

The Howell Township Police Department responded to a “pop-up party” near Wilson Drive in the Ramtown neighborhood of Howell on Sunday evening, requesting mutual aid from Wall, Brick, Jackson, Freehold, Monmouth and Ocean County Sheriffs Departments, as well as New Jersey State Police, according to authorities.

Although some party attendees left without incident, others directed their anger towards the host, who police say was charging for admission. The host of the gathering was arrested.

Executive order charges against the homeowner have been authorized, according to Col. Patrick J. Callahan of the New Jersey State Police during a Monday press conference. Callahan stated that 400 individuals had been counted in attendance, up from 300 previously reported on Sunday night.

According to NJ.com, an Instagram advertising the event promised a DJ and and a pool party as part of the gathering's festivities. Dubbed the "Real Big Drip 5," the event charged $30 in admission for women and $40 for men.

Howell police say that a majority of attendees were not locals. An investigation into the event is ongoing.

#Breaking...
—Police in Howell bust a “pop-up” party of some 300 people.
—State Police there with cops from Freehold, Wall, Brick, Jackson and more.
—Most cooperating.
—Some are “directing their anger towards the host who charged admission.” @News12NJ #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/BguPTq4J8T
— Nick Meidanis (@NickMeidanis) August 9, 2020

“Several patrol units will remain in the area to prevent others from arriving and/or returning and to monitor surrounding streets as there’s been reports of stragglers urinating on people’s property and vehicles,” wrote the Howell Township Police Department in a Facebook post on Sunday evening.

Streets around Wilson Drive were closed Sunday evening. While the street closures were in effect, law enforcement only allowed residents to enter.

While indoor gatherings were limited to 100 individuals per Gov. Phil Murphy as of July, the governor recently reduced the maximum indoor gathering limit to 25 individuals on Aug. 3.

The Howell event occurred two weeks after a string of other large gatherings were reported in the area. A house party in Middletown on July 11 led to 65 new positive cases of coronavirus in town, with 52 of them in young people under the age of 19. Over 700 guests in Jackson crowded a local Airbnb on July 26, and on Long Beach Island, 35 coronavirus cases were associated with an after hours social gathering of lifeguards earlier in the month. Read more: COVID Trouble: 3 NJ Gatherings, Dozens Of New Cases

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