Columbus has shuttered an underground after-hours establishment known as Sabor Latino following a litany of criminal incidents and health and safety violations. According to a report by The Columbus Dispatch, the Columbus City Attorney's office obtained a court order from Franklin County Environmental Court Judge Stephanie Mingo to board up the club, which sat in the Great Western shopping center near the Hilltop area.
Having drawn the attention of authorities over two years ago, law enforcement has responded to over 170 calls involving reports of sexual assault, gunshots, and drug activities, ABC6 reported. Despite being forced to close by the Columbus Division of Fire for overcrowding concerns in November, the club reopened on Dec. 8 to a scene where hundreds of cars littered the parking lot, and patrons queued up to enter the packed interior.
Investigators from the Ohio Investigative Unit noted that the venue was fully equipped for bar service with liquor bottles on display despite no one associated with the property holding a valid liquor permit. In a statement to WBNS, City Attorney Zach Klein described the actions of the club operators, saying, "The operators of this club have shown a total disregard for the law and for the safety of patrons and the surrounding neighborhood, so we took action to ask the court to shut them down permanently as soon as we had the evidence."
Additional reports included aggravated assaults, rapes, and illicit drug use. Court documents revealed a history of unresolved code violations directly threatening health and safety. To curtail the establishment's operation, agents entered the club at 2:25 a.m. in July and could purchase beer and liquor, concretizing its illegal activities. Property Action Team Attorney Rob Doersam indicated in a statement obtained by ABC 6 their commitment to "using every tool we have to improve public safety on the west side."
This latest enforcement is part of a broader push by city officials to clamp down on illegal operations that undermine community safety and order. The Columbus City Attorney's office has signaled its readiness to pursue further legal action should the operators attempt to continue such illegal activities at a different location.
