The future of Fantasias Discoteque is uncertain after Superior Court Judge Nathan Poovey entered a temporary restraining order against the establishment Monday.
The restraining order came as a result of the "hundreds of calls for service" for the Hickory Police Department since 2003 to the nightclub at 534 U.S. 70, SW, across from Big Lots, said Sgt. Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department.
Calls for service at Fantasias requiring police assistance have included repeated discharging of firearms, fights involving large numbers of people, rapes and assaults, according to a Hickory Police Department press release. Specific numbers of each type of incident were unavailable.
Assistant District Attorney Eric Bellas said the restraining order states that Fantasias must refrain from allowing any type of nuisance or illegal activity, to occur on the property. If the establishment doesn't, the property will be subject to forfeiture.
This would allow the city to confiscate the nightclub, owned by Oscar Romero, if the police are called to any type of incident at the club.
"The District Attorney's Office is filing this suit in an effort to be responsive to citizen complaints," said District Attorney Jay Gaither. "Neighbors of this property say violence in the neighborhood dramatically increases when the club is open. They don't feel safe, and they shouldn't have to live or work in that environment."
Fantasias Disco's neighbor to the south is a boarded-up Chinese buffet. To the north it's a business called Efficient Computer Systems beside that is a used car lot called Rollin' Motors. A vacant business is behind the club and there's a Put-Put course beside that.
Police Chief Tom Adkins said, though Fantasias is in a commercial district and many of the businesses closest to it are closed, up for sale or shuttered, complaints continue to come from the club's business neighbors.
Easton Yoder of Efficient Computer Systems said he hasn't had any trouble with the club when it's open. His problems are with what gets left behind. "They throw their beer bottles on our roof," said Yoder, adding, "Sometimes their customers vandalize our vans."
A poster on Fantasias Disco's front door states that the predominantly Hispanic club will be open Saturday and will be showing soccer matches including El Salvador versus Haiti at 6 p.m. and Honduras versus Canada at 9 p.m. It is unclear whether the club will open as planned.
"The City is trying to be responsive to neighbors' complaints and the continuing need for police resources at this location," Adkins said. "In order for local law enforcement to fight crime effectively, we need many different tools. A nuisance action is a powerful tool we can use to eliminate problem establishments in Hickory, where traditional law enforcement methods have failed."
"The Hickory Police Department has notified the property owner and the club management of the concerns and asked them to solve these problems; however, our efforts have been unsuccessful," he added. "This action is a last resort for us."
The next step will be a hearing scheduled for Oct. 13 when District Attorney's Office will argue for a preliminary restraining order which, if granted, will mean that even if Fantasias Disco's owner, Oscar Romero chooses to sell his club and open another he will still be under the terms of the restraining order and subject to its requirements.
Romero did not immediately return phone calls for comment.
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