Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department authorities have confirmed they are investigating two incidents in which different women claim they were drugged at The Abbey Food and Bar in West Hollywood.

The Abbey denied that any staff members were involved and issued a lengthy statement on Facebook outlining steps that are being taken as a result of the claims.

The first incident, which is being investigated by detectives at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, involved a victim who posted on Instagram that she had visited The Abbey on July 29 and within 15 minutes of having her first drink, fell ill and vomited. The victim claimed when she got home, she fell, injured herself and lost consciousness. She claimed in the Instagram post, which has been removed from public viewing, that she believes she was drugged at the restaurant and bar. Lt. Bill Moulder, with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, said the victim filed a report and detectives are investigating.

“All of the allegations we have are taken very seriously and are investigated,” Moulder said. “We really encourage people that if they feel like they have been drugged somewhere to report it to us. We absolutely take this very seriously.”

Moulder said he could not comment further because the incident remains under investigation. Detectives are in the process of working with The Abbey and attempting to corroborate the victim’s story.

The sheriff’s department’s Special Victim Bureau was also initially investigating another incident that allegedly occurred on Aug. 1 in which a woman reported that she may have been drugged while having drinks at The Abbey. Lt. John Adams, with the Special Victims Bureau, said the victim reported waking up hours later at a residence in Hollywood with a strange man she did not recognize. The victim immediately left the residence, which she said was somewhere in the 5600 block of Lexington Avenue. The Los Angeles Police Department is now investigating because the location reported by the victim is in Hollywood. Adams added that the victim believes she was sexually assaulted and authorities are awaiting test results. No arrests have been made in the case and he declined to provide any further details.

“What we learned is the adult female victim went to The Abbey and had drinks there with friends and doesn’t know what happened. She doesn’t remember leaving the establishment,” Adams said.

Adams also said detectives are working with the management at The Abbey and hope camera footage, witness statements and other evidence will help them determine exactly what happened.

The Abbey’s statement said cameras are located throughout the establishment and footage is being reviewed. In addition to the sheriff’s department investigation, The Abbey is conducting an internal investigation.

“We are aware of the current allegations which we take very seriously. We know this is an ongoing issue in nightlife and we do everything in our power to keep our community safe,” the statement read in part. “If we had any evidence that one of our employees or staff had drugged someone, we would terminate them immediately and work with law enforcement to prosecute them. The Abbey is a leader in the LGBTQ+ community and we have taken very public stands to defend what we believe is right.”

The statement also said The Abbey plans to hold people accountable if allegations made publicly are determined to be unfounded or untrue.

“We will begin filing our own defamation lawsuits against people who make online claims that are contradicted by our security footage and investigations by law enforcement,” the statement read in part. “It is our job to investigate the claim and direct them to law enforcement to file a report. We do both of those things. We want people to have a good time and we want people to be safe. We also want our guests to be aware of their choices, their surroundings and their limits.”

The full statement is available for viewing on The Abbey Food and Bar’s Facebook account. A representative for The Abbey said no further information has been released.

Adams said the sheriff’s department has received similar complaints over the years and has worked with The Abbey in the past. He did not remember any claims that had been proven involving employees at The Abbey placing illegal substances in patron’s drinks. He added that nothing has been ruled out, including whether another patron may have placed something in the drinks, and the investigation will continue.

Moulder reiterated the importance of immediately notifying law enforcement authorities. Anyone with information is urged to contact the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department at (310)855-8850, or the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Unit at (562)946-8531.