HARTFORD – Today, Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli signed a summary suspension of the liquor permit for Rumba Café Bar and Grill (LCA.7101), located at 679 Main Street in East Haven.
This suspension is the result of a referral to the DCP Liquor Control Division from the East Haven Police Department on March 12, 2024, regarding events that occurred during the early morning hours of March 10, 2024.
Gunshots were fired inside the premises of Rumba Café Bar and Grill, following multiple fights inside and around the establishment. The resulting investigation by East Haven Police determined that the gunshots were fired inside the premises and into the ceiling. No occupants of the apartments above Rumba Café were injured, and no shooting victims were found on the premise. Two men were arrested as a result of the incident.
In his letter to DCP, East Haven Deputy Police Chief Patrick Tracy wrote that “such instances of violence at Rumba Café are not isolated ones.” He noted 23 other instances since April 3, 2021, where police either conducted a drug investigation, or responded to calls pertaining to fights, unruly crowds, and assaults. One such incident involved the unlawful discharge of a firearm in the parking lot on October 10, 2021.
As a result of these incidents at and within the vicinity of Rumba Café, East Haven police must assign a “bar closing detail,” which places officers in the vicinity to deter illegal activity. Despite these efforts, the activity at Rumba Café continues to necessitate police intervention.
Deputy Chief Tracy summarized, “[t]his continued illegal activity at Rumba Café has been a constant drain on police resources and has taken officers away from patrolling other areas of town.”
“We are fortunate that nobody was seriously injured or killed as a result of the gunshots fired at Rumba Café last weekend,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “It is clear this establishment is operated in a way that poses a serious risk to the community, that could eventually result in a serious injury or death. Our permittees have a responsibility to protect public health and safety, and Rumba Café is unable to maintain its commitment to that responsibility. Thank you to the East Haven Police Department for their ongoing work to address issues at this establishment.”
The premise license is immediately suspended, and the establishment is closed until further notice. The permit was first issued by DCP on July 29, 2009, and is set to expire on January 27, 2025.
A copy of the letter from East Haven Deputy Chief of Police Patrick Tracy, the suspension placard, and summary suspension order are attached.
Those with concerns about a liquor permit holder in the State of Connecticut may contact DCP’s Liquor Control Division at (860) 713-6210, or by emailing dcp.liquorcontrol@ct.gov.