Civil Complaint: Illegal Chatsworth Pot Shop Dumped Customer Fatally Wounded In Accidental Shooting At Hospital, Kept Selling Marijuana After Cleaning Up Blood
CHATSWORTH (CBSLA) — A civil complaint has been filed against an illegal pot shop in Chatsworth and the property owners that rent to them after a series of major problems, including the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old customer in January.
The complaint filed against Super Bloom, which is now doing business as Blum Valley, was filed Friday by LA City Attorney Mike Feuer.
"At every turn, this case underscores the detrimental and even deadly effects allegedly illegal cannabis businesses can pose," Feuer said in a statement.
On Jan. 24, the complaint says Joseph Waary of Chatsworth went to Super Bloom to buy cannabis and was accidentally shot by two 19-year-old employees "purportedly acting as security guards." According to the complaint, two employees — gang members who were prohibited from possessing any firearms — were smoking marijuana and playing with loaded handguns despite their criminal histories, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges the employees did not call 911, and instead "callously" cleaned up Waary's blood and kept selling cannabis, while other employees loaded the wounded man into a car and "cravenly" dumped him in the parking lot of West Hills Hospital's parking lot. Waary died by the time police arrived, the complaint said.
The accidental shooting was just the latest misdeed by the owners of Super Bloom, according to Feuer. Just two months prior to the shooting, the LAPD notified the business and the property owner of Mickool Plaza, 9866 De Soto Ave., that the unlicensed marijuana business was illegal and must close.
In 2017, Clifford and Maureen and Mickool were criminally charged for renting the property to another illegal medical marijuana business called Cush Club, before leasing the property to Super Bloom.
The complaint names the Mickools; American Chronic Medicinals, Inc., and the company's CEO, Anne Frank, and seeks to keep them from engaging in any unlicensed commercial cannabis activity and from renting, leasing or allowing any unlicensed commercial cannabis activity in Los Angeles.
Several Super Bloom employees are being prosecuted by the LA District Attorney's Office in connection with the shooting. Super Bloom has since relocated to an unincorporated part of LA County elsewhere in Chatsworth and reopened as Blum Valley.