COLUMBUS, Ohio — The city of Columbus secured a temporary restraining order Friday to shut down a hookah bar in the Weinland Park neighborhood.
The MIA Hookah Café, located at the corner of 5th Avenue and Summit Street, has been the scene of multiple violent crimes in recent months. Three people were killed and three others were injured outside the bar on May 18.
The Columbus Division of Police executed an order Friday afternoon to board up the property.
According to court documents, Columbus police received 19 calls for service to the business. Those calls include reports of shots fired, assaults, fights and reports of stolen vehicles.
“Public safety is our top priority, so the moment we had the evidence to tie this business to the crime and violence in that area, we took action," Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said. "Now, the hookah bar is shut down and this corner of Weinland Park is safer for residents and families."
Klein said the city will continue to do everything it can to ensure the area does not continue to "be a haven for crime and chaos.”
In addition to the city's action against MIA Hookah Café, Klein said the Property Action Team also plans to go after the nearby Del Baggio Pizzeria, which has seen a recent uptick in criminal activity.
According to court documents, Columbus police received more than a dozen calls for service to that location, including four calls for assaults, a shooting and an individual with a firearm.
Klein said the city intends to make its case to declare Del Baggio Pizzeria a public nuisance at an upcoming preliminary injunction hearing.
“The corner of Fifth and Summit has been on our radar for some time, and thanks to CPD and concerned neighbors, we were able to build a strong case to hold these owners accountable for the crime and chaos that has happened under their watch,” said Assistant City Attorney Christopher Clark, a member of the City Attorney’s Property Action Team.