State files public nuisance lawsuit against Temptations Cabaret after another shootout
TARRANT COUNTY (CBSNewsTexas) - The State of Texas filed a public nuisance lawsuit against a strip club in west Tarrant County on Tuesday, as part of a larger effort to permanently shut down the establishment.
The move comes after a shootout on Sunday morning in the parking lot of Temptations Cabaret that left one person dead and three others injured.
The club has a well-documented history of criminal activity, including multiple murders.
"It was always kind of scary to me. You wake up at three o'clock in the morning to gunshots," said Molly Day, whose home is less than a mile away from the club. "I find it absolutely ridiculous we can't find a way to shut their doors. How many deaths is enough?"
The state's case, brought on by Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells, is seeking both temporary and permanent injunctions to prevent the business from operating.
In the lawsuit, the district attorney called Temptations a "hotbed of crime" that "wreaks havoc on the community near the club and strains the resources of law enforcement and first responders."
According to the court filings, the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office made 57 arrests for criminal offenses at Temptations between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022. Those crimes include at least three instances of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, at least five instances of discharge of a firearm in a public place, two murders, and at least six instances of unlawful carrying of a weapon.
The crimes have persisted into 2023.
After a double stabbing at Temptations almost three weeks ago, Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez started looking into what could be done. He reviewed data from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office that shows just how frequently crime happens there.
"And what I found was shocking," said Commissioner Ramirez. "This establishment has 10 times the call volume of any other establishment of its nature in unincorporated Tarrant County. There were 134 calls for service just at this location last year."
In addition to the district attorney pursuing legal action against the club, Ramirez has asked the Commissioners Court to review the Sexually Oriented Business Permit of Temptations Cabaret.
They plan to discuss it during their June 6th meeting.
"I'm very confident that the wheels are in motion and that we will have a solution very soon," he said. "Our citizens have dealt with this for far too long, and they deserve for us to provide the relief they've been asking for. It's not only our job, but it's our moral obligation, in my opinion."
The increase in crime related to the club has caused many of Day's neighbors to put their homes on the market, but she's finally hopeful help is on the way.
"I love it here, and I feel very confident they're going to be able to do something," said Day.
CBS News Texas reached out to the company that owns Temptations for comment on the efforts to shut it down but has not yet received a response.