East Chicago bar shut down by authorities
EAST CHICAGO | Law enforcement and fire officials on Friday ordered an East Chicago bar closed after citing numerous illegal activities and code violations.
Indiana State Excise Police on Friday night shut down Alexis Hall, 4003 Alder St. after receiving a complaint from a citizen of illegal activities there.
When officers entered the bar around 9:30 p.m., they allegedly found two 16-year-olds and one other minor inside. The juveniles were ticketed for being minors inside a tavern and released to family members, excise police said.
Excise police also cited the bar with two counts of allowing minors to loiter, failure to maintain employee records, employing an unlicensed bartender, not meeting food-service requirements, changing floor plan layout without approval, failure to display permits and purchasing alcohol from another retail business.
The East Chicago Police Department, East Chicago Fire Department and the Lake County Sheriff's Department's Gang Division all assisted with the investigation.
"Indiana State Excise Police will continue to work with city and county law enforcement officers to prevent the procurement of alcohol by minors and take appropriate action when violations of Indiana law are found," Superintendent Matt Strittmatter of the Indiana State Excise Police said in a a statement issued Monday morning.
