LA County Gets Restraining Order Against Gym Over Indoor Workouts

TORRANCE, CA — A judge Wednesday granted Los Angeles County's request for a temporary restraining order preventing a Torrance gym owner from holding indoor workouts at his business.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary H. Strobel also scheduled another hearing for Jan. 5 on whether the order against David Fischer and Powerhouse Gym should be extended with a preliminary injunction.

Fischer's attorney, April Moore, stated in her court papers that Powerhouse Gym has been open since June 1 without any reported coronavirus cases and that a TRO was unnecessary. She also said that Fischer has spent $150,000 on an outdoor fitness area that has taken longer than he expected to finish. She said he hoped the work would be complete in 30 days.

"COVID -19 is not to be minimized, but neither is the dire impact the lockdowns have had on people in this from both a financial and mental health perspective," Moore wrote in her court papers.

Patch reached out to Moore for more information about the ongoing incident.

In a sworn declaration, DPH inspector Arsenio Argel described his 10th inspection of the Hawthorne Boulevard gym on Nov. 24.

"I arrived at Powerhouse at 9:45 a.m. and observed at least two dozen patrons exercising inside the facilities in violation of the health and closure orders," Argel said.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.