The complaint, filed September 29 in San Diego Superior Court, was brought on behalf of minor Symphani Reign Blu, through her guardian ad litem Shannon Reeves. It names Tequila Del Cielo LLC (operator of Cielo Rooftop Lounge), National Lampoon Inc., Palmstar Media Inc., Tempo 5th Ave LLC (Mr. Tempo Cantina), 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC (the Theater Box landlord), and 25 unnamed defendants allegedly involved in operating or controlling the property where 46-year-old Antwan Eugene Blu - born Bluthenthal - was killed.
The suit asserts two causes of action - negligence and premises liability - both framed as wrongful death and survival claims. It seeks unspecified general and special damages, survival damages, funeral expenses, and compensation for loss of financial support and parental companionship, to be proven at trial.
Blu, a Navy veteran who worked as a respiratory therapist for the Department of Veterans Affairs and co-owned a car-detailing business, was shot on August 3, 2025 , after what authorities described as an altercation at Cielo Rooftop Lounge. Police received multiple 911 calls around 5:30pm and found Blu mortally wounded in a third-floor hallway of 701 Fifth Avenue. He died at the scene.
Officers say bystanders detained 37-year-old Bryan Tyner outside the building and pointed police to a handgun allegedly taken from him. Tyner was arrested and later charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed without bail. The civil suit does not target Tyner; Instead, it focuses on the web of companies behind the property, arguing they should have implemented far stronger safety measures given the building's nightlife profile and its location in a district long associated with alcohol-related crime.
According to the complaint, the Theater Box complex had a history of fights, disturbances, and crowding issues before Blu's death, and the businesses inside regularly attracted large groups for events. One incident previously made news . On April 18, 2021, San Diego Police received a 911 call reporting shots fired inside Theater Box and Sugar Factory, with some witnesses claiming the gunfire originated from the rooftop lounge. Officers cleared multiple levels of the building, ultimately locating empty shell casings on the roof but finding no victims and no suspects.
The lawsuit claims that because all tenants share hallways, elevators, stairwells and restrooms, each operator owed a duty to provide adequate security and to protect guests in common areas. Instead, it alleges a series of failures, including the lack of metal detectors, bag checks, proper security staffing, crowd-control practices, and trained personnel. The complaint further alleges that at least one entrance with Cielo signage was unmonitored on the day of the shooting and that restroom access on different floors contributed to heavy cross-traffic where the killing occurred.
The wrongful death lawsuit against Theater Box and other onsite businesses is the latest in over a dozen legal actions filed against owners and tenants of the property in the last half decade. In reviewing the San Diego Superior Court Register of actions, there are employment claims, personal injury lawsuits, breach of contract matters, and enforcement of judgment actions.
Those mounting lawsuits and allegations now sit against an increasingly grim regulatory backdrop. As SanDiegoVille reported earlier this week, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) recently confirmed that the sole liquor license used by every bar in the building was formally revoked under a settlement executed October 8, 2025. The revocation is temporarily stayed for 180 days to allow a transfer, but during that window the license is first suspended for 30 days and then remains indefinitely suspended until sold. In the meantime, alcohol service across the entire complex is legally shut down.
ABC cited four major violations between April 2024 and September 2025, including failure to correct nuisance conditions after warnings, maintaining what state law calls a “disorderly house,” generating repeated law-enforcement problems, and allowing unlicensed or unauthorized individuals to operate the business - a serious breach of ownership rules. Asked whether Blu’s killing was part of the case, an ABC representative told SanDiegoVille that the August 3 shooting “would have fallen under” two of the charged counts - the disorderly-house and repeated-police-response allegations - because those counts cover the timeframe of the homicide, even though the incident is not named outright in the ABC Accusation.
The agency also clarified a key point: despite being marketed as four separate concepts - Mr. Tempo Cantina, Cielo Rooftop Lounge, The Roxbury Nightclub and Cowboy Cantina - all of the nightlife operations ran under a single liquor license with shared entrances, hallways, restrooms and operational control. The Type 47 License is listed under the names 701 Fifth Ave LLC, a company marked as "terminated" by the California Secretary of State, as well as Carol Braidi, Sherwin Jarol, Amag Inc., Maison Holding LLC, and Vivi Properties. In ABC’s view, there was one licensee responsible for the environment throughout the complex, not four independent bars. Any violation anywhere in the building counted against the same license.
The shared structure has essentially collapsed this year. The Gaslamp Mr. Tempo location has been repeatedly ordered closed in 2025 by county health inspectors for major vermin and sanitation violations, according to public records. Cowboy Cantina appears to have gone dark, with its phone line disconnected and San Diego references scrubbed from its website and social media. The Roxbury, a short-lived revival of the famous 1990s Hollywood club, heavily promoted its Gaslamp opening in September, but former staff tell SanDiegoVille it abruptly shut down less than a month later and left workers unpaid for multiple weeks of labor. Those wage-related allegations have not yet been tested in court. Behind all of this is a largely invisible landlord: 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC.
Public records from the San Diego County Assessor list the Wyoming-formed company as the owner of the Theatre Box property. But the out-of-state LLC’s principal and mailing address raise new questions. According to the California Secretary of State’s registration file, 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC lists its office at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles - the address of Hollywood's landmark TCL Chinese Theatre. That historic venue, along with the nearby Dolby Theatre, is owned and controlled by producer and nightlife operator Elie Samaha and his partners.
The California file is thin. A Statement of Information, which would disclose managers and key officers, is not on record even though it came due in October 2023. Meanwhile, Wyoming corporate records show that 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC was “administratively dissolved” in its home state over a tax issue, meaning the entity technically no longer exists there. Despite that, the LLC continues to appear as the owner of a major downtown San Diego property and is currently suing one of its most high-profile tenants.
ABC cited four major violations between April 2024 and September 2025, including failure to correct nuisance conditions after warnings, maintaining what state law calls a “disorderly house,” generating repeated law-enforcement problems, and allowing unlicensed or unauthorized individuals to operate the business - a serious breach of ownership rules. Asked whether Blu’s killing was part of the case, an ABC representative told SanDiegoVille that the August 3 shooting “would have fallen under” two of the charged counts - the disorderly-house and repeated-police-response allegations - because those counts cover the timeframe of the homicide, even though the incident is not named outright in the ABC Accusation.
The agency also clarified a key point: despite being marketed as four separate concepts - Mr. Tempo Cantina, Cielo Rooftop Lounge, The Roxbury Nightclub and Cowboy Cantina - all of the nightlife operations ran under a single liquor license with shared entrances, hallways, restrooms and operational control. The Type 47 License is listed under the names 701 Fifth Ave LLC, a company marked as "terminated" by the California Secretary of State, as well as Carol Braidi, Sherwin Jarol, Amag Inc., Maison Holding LLC, and Vivi Properties. In ABC’s view, there was one licensee responsible for the environment throughout the complex, not four independent bars. Any violation anywhere in the building counted against the same license.
The shared structure has essentially collapsed this year. The Gaslamp Mr. Tempo location has been repeatedly ordered closed in 2025 by county health inspectors for major vermin and sanitation violations, according to public records. Cowboy Cantina appears to have gone dark, with its phone line disconnected and San Diego references scrubbed from its website and social media. The Roxbury, a short-lived revival of the famous 1990s Hollywood club, heavily promoted its Gaslamp opening in September, but former staff tell SanDiegoVille it abruptly shut down less than a month later and left workers unpaid for multiple weeks of labor. Those wage-related allegations have not yet been tested in court. Behind all of this is a largely invisible landlord: 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC.
Public records from the San Diego County Assessor list the Wyoming-formed company as the owner of the Theatre Box property. But the out-of-state LLC’s principal and mailing address raise new questions. According to the California Secretary of State’s registration file, 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC lists its office at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles - the address of Hollywood's landmark TCL Chinese Theatre. That historic venue, along with the nearby Dolby Theatre, is owned and controlled by producer and nightlife operator Elie Samaha and his partners.
The California file is thin. A Statement of Information, which would disclose managers and key officers, is not on record even though it came due in October 2023. Meanwhile, Wyoming corporate records show that 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC was “administratively dissolved” in its home state over a tax issue, meaning the entity technically no longer exists there. Despite that, the LLC continues to appear as the owner of a major downtown San Diego property and is currently suing one of its most high-profile tenants.
On September 2, 2025, 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC filed a commercial unlawful detainer action - a form of eviction lawsuit - against Tempo Universe LLC and celebrity restaurateur Jorge “Mr. Tempo” Cueva, alleging default under their lease. The case, which is still pending, underscores the level of internal turmoil at the Theatre Box complex just weeks after Blu’s killing and shortly before ABC’s revocation decision. Rumor has it, Mr. Tempo Cantina is shopping a new space and was most recently reported to be eyeing the former Hooter's unit on Market Street.
Samaha himself is hardly an unknown figure. In recent years he has been repeatedly profiled in the Hollywood trade press as a prolific dealmaker with a long, controversial record in film finance and nightlife. A 2004 civil case reportedly left him personally liable for tens of millions of dollars to German distributor Intertainment, which accused him of inflating movie budgets; the suit later settled for a fraction of that sum, and reports state Samaha disputes key characterizations of the case and subsequent federal scrutiny. More recently, court filings and news reports have described partners accusing him and longtime collaborator Donald Kushner of diverting nightclub funds into their theater holdings, claims they have publicly denied.
Local authorities have also taken aim at some of the duo’s Hollywood clubs. In 2019, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against the operators of Project Los Angeles, L’Scorpion and the now-closed Rusty Mullet - venues linked in the complaint to entities involving Samaha - alleging unsafe security practices, operating without proper permits, excessive noise and other violations that officials said endangered patrons and strained police resources.
At the same time, Samaha has been expanding his portfolio of high-visibility properties. His companies now control both the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Dolby Theatre - long-term home of the Academy Awards - and he has been involved in discussions surrounding Yamashiro, the hilltop Hollywood restaurant and event space that last year hit the market with a nine-figure price tag. A March 2025 press release from Stargaze Entertainment Group touted Samaha as a “key public figure in Hollywood” and appointed him as a strategic adviser, highlighting his control of “two of the most iconic venues in entertainment.” In San Diego, however, his presence has been almost entirely obscured behind 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC, although his involvement was touted in local media when Theatre Box first opened in 2018.
SanDiegoVille emailed Samaha at his email address to ask about the Theatre Box property, its deteriorating nightlife operations, the liquor license revocation, and Blu’s death. The response did not come from Samaha or a local property manager. Instead, an email arrived from Peter Hoffman of 7artsent.com, who is identified on the State Bar of California’s website as a disbarred attorney.
“Elie Samaha asked me to respond to your email from this morning,” Hoffman wrote. “701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC and Mr. Samaha have no comment on the subject matter of your proposed article, other than to state that all contributions due from the investors in Cowboy at the River LLC were made. All operations at Roxbury and Cowboy Cantina at the premises were managed by Jim Valdez to whom all questions regarding those businesses should be addressed.”
SanDiegoVille then contacted nightlife operator Jim Valdez, who recently partnered with Samaha to promote the short-lived San Diego Roxbury reboot, according to an article in Page Six. Valdez also replied through a representative.
Samaha himself is hardly an unknown figure. In recent years he has been repeatedly profiled in the Hollywood trade press as a prolific dealmaker with a long, controversial record in film finance and nightlife. A 2004 civil case reportedly left him personally liable for tens of millions of dollars to German distributor Intertainment, which accused him of inflating movie budgets; the suit later settled for a fraction of that sum, and reports state Samaha disputes key characterizations of the case and subsequent federal scrutiny. More recently, court filings and news reports have described partners accusing him and longtime collaborator Donald Kushner of diverting nightclub funds into their theater holdings, claims they have publicly denied.
Local authorities have also taken aim at some of the duo’s Hollywood clubs. In 2019, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against the operators of Project Los Angeles, L’Scorpion and the now-closed Rusty Mullet - venues linked in the complaint to entities involving Samaha - alleging unsafe security practices, operating without proper permits, excessive noise and other violations that officials said endangered patrons and strained police resources.
At the same time, Samaha has been expanding his portfolio of high-visibility properties. His companies now control both the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Dolby Theatre - long-term home of the Academy Awards - and he has been involved in discussions surrounding Yamashiro, the hilltop Hollywood restaurant and event space that last year hit the market with a nine-figure price tag. A March 2025 press release from Stargaze Entertainment Group touted Samaha as a “key public figure in Hollywood” and appointed him as a strategic adviser, highlighting his control of “two of the most iconic venues in entertainment.” In San Diego, however, his presence has been almost entirely obscured behind 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC, although his involvement was touted in local media when Theatre Box first opened in 2018.
SanDiegoVille emailed Samaha at his email address to ask about the Theatre Box property, its deteriorating nightlife operations, the liquor license revocation, and Blu’s death. The response did not come from Samaha or a local property manager. Instead, an email arrived from Peter Hoffman of 7artsent.com, who is identified on the State Bar of California’s website as a disbarred attorney.
“Elie Samaha asked me to respond to your email from this morning,” Hoffman wrote. “701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC and Mr. Samaha have no comment on the subject matter of your proposed article, other than to state that all contributions due from the investors in Cowboy at the River LLC were made. All operations at Roxbury and Cowboy Cantina at the premises were managed by Jim Valdez to whom all questions regarding those businesses should be addressed.”
SanDiegoVille then contacted nightlife operator Jim Valdez, who recently partnered with Samaha to promote the short-lived San Diego Roxbury reboot, according to an article in Page Six. Valdez also replied through a representative.
In a statement, Attorney John Boyko said Roxbury “was unable to meet the financial expectations” of Jim Valdez's business partners and that Valdez was removed from all management and operational duties on or around October 26, 2025, the same day the nightclub ceased operations. Boyko added that Valdez “is aware of the various creditor and employee claims for payment of services and wages” and is “actively attempting to address these concerns with current management.” Neither Boyko nor anyone associated with 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC clarified who, if anyone, is currently responsible for satisfying unpaid wages, vendor invoices, or liabilities incurred during the venue's brief operation.
For Blu's family, the complex web of absentee landlords, dissolved shell companies, celebrity investors, revoked liquor licenses, unpaid staff and vanishing tenants is not an abstract corporate drama - it is the background to a killing they argue should never have been possible. It is also further evidence to support their claims against the property.
Their lawsuit contends that what happened on August 3 was a preventable tragedy born of long-standing safety failures in a building whose owners and operators chose expansion, hype and profit over basic security. A jury will ultimately decide whether the Theater Box entities - including 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC - bear civil responsibility for the death of a Navy veteran who never made it to the dinner he had planned with his wife that evening.
None of the defendants in the wrongful death suit have yet filed a response, and no representatives for Cielo Rooftop Lounge, Mr. Tempo Cantina, National Lampoon, Palmstar Media or 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC have issued public statements addressing the allegations. Criminal proceedings against Tyner remain ongoing.
SanDiegoVille has requested additional records from ABC, the City of San Diego, and San Diego County, and will continue to report as more information becomes available.
For more information, refer to the full wrongful death complaint below.
For Blu's family, the complex web of absentee landlords, dissolved shell companies, celebrity investors, revoked liquor licenses, unpaid staff and vanishing tenants is not an abstract corporate drama - it is the background to a killing they argue should never have been possible. It is also further evidence to support their claims against the property.
Their lawsuit contends that what happened on August 3 was a preventable tragedy born of long-standing safety failures in a building whose owners and operators chose expansion, hype and profit over basic security. A jury will ultimately decide whether the Theater Box entities - including 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC - bear civil responsibility for the death of a Navy veteran who never made it to the dinner he had planned with his wife that evening.
None of the defendants in the wrongful death suit have yet filed a response, and no representatives for Cielo Rooftop Lounge, Mr. Tempo Cantina, National Lampoon, Palmstar Media or 701 Fifth Ave. Properties LLC have issued public statements addressing the allegations. Criminal proceedings against Tyner remain ongoing.
SanDiegoVille has requested additional records from ABC, the City of San Diego, and San Diego County, and will continue to report as more information becomes available.
For more information, refer to the full wrongful death complaint below.
Originally published on November 21, 2025.