City Attorney Heather Ferbert and San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl held a joint press conference Monday afternoon outside the shuttered venue at 2249 Imperial Avenue to announce the outcome. The settlement mandates the immediate and permanent closure of the business and includes a $100,000 up-front payment from the property owner. The deal resolves years of investigative work led by the City Attorney’s Nuisance Abatement Unit in collaboration with SDPD, the San Diego Fire Department, the city’s Building and Land Use Enforcement Division (BLUE), and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).
"This is a significant public safety victory," said Ferbert. "The Secret Yard put lives at risk, operated in open defiance of the law, and drained city resources with impunity. This judgment sends a clear message that we will not tolerate this kind of chronic nuisance behavior in our neighborhoods."
The lounge, which opened in 2021 with a license to operate as a restaurant with limited beer and wine service, quickly evolved into an all-hours nightclub notorious for hosting DJ events into the early morning, serving hard liquor without a license, and becoming a magnet for violent incidents. Over a three-year span, SDPD logged more than 225 calls for service at the location, many involving stabbings, shootings, assaults, drug sales, and even a homicide.
In one particularly gruesome incident in January 2023, a patron was shot in the head and leg just minutes after a fight inside the venue. That victim survived, and two individuals were later convicted of attempted murder. In another case, a man was stabbed outside the property after a confrontation with security. Other reported events included ghost-gun seizures, a hit-and-run, multiple overdoses, and assaults by or involving security staff.
Despite repeated violations and the revocation of its liquor license by the ABC in November 2023, the Secret Yard continued to operate well into 2024. Undercover investigations by NBC 7 Investigates documented alcohol being sold illegally, unlicensed entertainment, and dangerous overcrowding. Fire and building inspectors reportedly discovered numerous code violations, including unsafe electrical work, unpermitted construction, and exit obstructions.
Community frustration mounted as months passed with no apparent city enforcement. In one 2023 email to city officials and the press, a concerned parent questioned why the venue was allowed to continue operating despite multiple fatalities, violent altercations, and a revoked alcohol license. That frustration was echoed by business owners and residents who said the venue was a clear and present danger, operating mere blocks from SDPD headquarters.
Today’s announcement offers some closure for those affected, but it also raises lingering questions about why it took so long for the city to act. According to the settlement, the $1.3 million judgment will be used to cover investigation costs and impose civil penalties for repeated violations of health, safety, and nuisance laws.
"We are relieved the Secret Yard has finally been shut down, but the years it took to get to this point are troubling," said one local business owner who asked not to be named. "This didn’t need to go on for so long."
The owner of the Secret Yard, Eser Horuz, has not issued a public comment on the settlement. The venue’s website and Instagram page have not been updated since earlier this year.
The case serves as a sobering example of how businesses operating in open defiance of city and state law can go unchecked for years - until public outcry and legal action finally catch up. For Logan Heights residents, the hope is that this judgment won’t just be a punishment, but a turning point in how San Diego handles problem properties moving forward.
Originally published on July 28, 2025.
