Authorities are looking for a suspect who allegedly got into a fight with a man at a party in an upscale East Bay neighborhood early Saturday morning and left him with life-threatening injuries.
Deputies were dispatched to the house in Orinda at about 8 a.m. following a reported battery, according to Contra Costa County Sheriff's officials. When officers arrived they found a 21-year-old man in the parking area of a nearby home suffering from a head injury.
The victim was taken to a hospital.
Officers learned there had been a large party at the house on Camino Encinas, near Moraga Way, before the fight broke out. One neighbor told NBC Bay Area they’ve called police in the past to report loud parties at a rental house that had been listed on Airbnb.
The five-bedroom, five-bath, 4,000-square-foot home was listed on Airbnb for $875 a night. The listing said the property had "been used for filming and hosted music stars."
Attempts to reach the property owner for comment were unsuccessful, but shortly after NBC Bay Area reached out, the property listing was removed from Airbnb.
Airbnb provided the following statement: "The people staying at this home did not book it through Airbnb. We encourage all hosts and guests to only book reservations through Airbnb, which provides a Trust and Safety team on standby 24/7 and a toll-free neighbor hotline for any concerns. We have zero tolerance for this sort of behavior and we have permanently removed this listing from the Airbnb community."
Local
Police, along with the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office, are investigating the incident and a have released a cell phone image of the suspect.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office at 925-646-2441. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call 866-846-3592.
This incident has the city of Orinda considering a new ordinance to address Airbnb rental properties. Mayor Victoria Smith said there already is a party ordinance that holds homeowners responsible when parties get rowdy.
"We want to make sure if there is an emergency there is someone to answer the phone, and there is someone to contact and responsible," Smith said.
Last month, an Airbnb rental in the East Bay turned into a crime scene. A 19-year-old renter used a home for a house party and invited hundreds of teenagers. The owners of the home returned to find dirty furniture, beer cans, broken glass and even bloodstains. Police arrested the renter for vandalism. The homeowners plan to press charges and file a civil suit.
