Tavern May Face Fines After Dancer Exposes Himself

A Northridge nightclub promotion featuring male exotic dancers was stopped early Wednesday when one of the amateur dancers exposed himself to an audience that included six undercover officers, Los Angeles police said.

Coyote’s Cantina may be cited for violating city code regulations governing nudity, the serving of alcohol to underage customers, and health because of an inspection of the premises after police stopped the dance contest about 1 a.m., said Sgt. Bill Florez of the Devonshire Division vice unit.

The bar and restaurant in the 8900 block of Corbin Avenue was not shut down, but managers of the establishment closed it an hour early because of the inspection, Florez said.

The business was open by lunch Wednesday, but a manager said the plan to use the male dance contest to help boost business on normally slow Tuesday nights probably will be abandoned.

“If it had worked out, we were planning to keep having the contests,” manager Arthur Ruiz said. “I don’t think it has worked out too well.”

After police learned of the contest, vice officers went on a routine “bar check,” Florez said. The six officers were among an estimated 150 patrons in the nightclub during the contest, which featured volunteers from the crowd competing for a $200 prize.

One of the amateur dancers, who was not identified because he was not arrested, briefly pulled his pants down, exposing his buttocks and pubic hair, Florez said. The officers then identified themselves and stopped the contest and music, Florez said.

‘Beyond Our Control’

“He was a customer,” Ruiz said. “Maybe he had too much to drink. He flashed himself real quick. Now we get in trouble. It was beyond our control. We told everybody before they went up to dance to keep their clothes on.”

After the contest was stopped, the officers inspected the bar and found that an 18-year-old woman had been served alcohol, Florez said. They confiscated 40 bottles of liquor that contained foreign matter, including insects, he said.

Florez said a follow-up investigation probably will result in the business being cited for violating the city code, which could lead to a fine or suspension of its liquor license.

“This is disturbing,” Ruiz said. “We don’t think we are guilty of anything. We really couldn’t control what happened.”

Though the dancer was not an employee, the nightclub was responsible for the dancers in the contest, Florez said.

“They are supposed to regulate that kind of activity,” Florez said. “If there would have been no disrobing, we probably wouldn’t have taken any action at all.”