Four small retail businesses have been hit with criminal charges for staying open during the city’s shutdown orders for non-essential businesses.

Prosecutor Mike Feuer’s office charged Business Discount Electronics, 556 S. Broadway; Hot Box Smoke Shop, 9115 S. Western Ave.; DTLA Smoke Shop, 223 1/2 W. 6th St.; and Brother Shoes, 818 W. Slauson Ave., Unit B.

The Safer At Home orders are in effect until April 19. Violations of either the city or county order can be enforced as a misdemeanor and punishable by fines and imprisonment. In addition, the Dept. of Water and Power will cut off service to the premises of non-compliant businesses.

The charges are the first the city has filed against businesses, and Feuer said 30 other establishments are being investigated, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Various city officials had tried to get the stores to cooperate, but were rebuffed.