Milford Homeowner Fined For Hosting Large Party

A Massachusetts howeowner has been fined $1,500 for hosting a party last weekend that attracted about 200 guests, a gathering health officials say violated state regulations on large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

The party in Milford last Saturday had to be broken up by police after neighbors complained. Police Chief Michael Pighetti told The Milford Daily News that no one was arrested and the partygoers dispersed immediately.

The homeowner, Luis Loja Caguana, was fined for three separate violations: lack of social distancing; lack of facial coverings; and a gathering that exceeded the state outdoor limit of 50 people, Milford Health Director Jacqueline Murphy said.

Only 10% to 20% of the guests wore face coverings, she said.

Caguana told The Boston Globe that the party was a fundraiser for a woman he knows with cancer who does not have health insurance, and he did not expect so many people to show up. He said he wore a mask and handed them out, but acknowledged that not everyone wore one.