More than 70 minors were detained at the SouthBay Pavilion Mall on Saturday evening following a disturbance involving hundreds of juveniles, according to authorities. The incident also led to the arrest of two youths accused of throwing fireworks at police officers.
Deputies from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Carson station were dispatched to the mall at 20700 Avalon Blvd. on Saturday afternoon, as reported by Sgt. K. Ay. The situation escalated when a trash can was set on fire outside the mall, drawing a crowd. Deputy Tracy Koerner, a sheriff’s spokesman, stated that the youths ran into the mall, a nearby strip mall, and surrounding neighborhoods when deputies arrived.
As the teens scattered, some committed “sporadic thefts” of petty items within the mall, Koerner added. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) released a social media statement late Saturday, indicating that the disturbance involved approximately 200 juveniles and included illegal fireworks being set off inside a store in the mall.
“Carson deputies responded swiftly and issued dispersal orders. The group refused to comply, and surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to assist,” the statement read.
Deputies spent about five hours managing the situation and getting the youths to leave, according to Sgt. Ay. The 73 juveniles who were detained received notices to appear in court for failure to disperse, as stated by sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Fulop. Additionally, two individuals were arrested by Torrance police on suspicion of assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon.
Fulop mentioned that he had no further information regarding the fireworks. Torrance police were unable to immediately respond to questions about whether the fireworks were lit when thrown and what type and size they were.
“Criminal activity of this nature is disruptive to our businesses and harmful to our community and will not be tolerated,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. “This incident will be fully investigated, and we aim to hold all those responsible accountable.”
The disturbance led to the early closure of the mall, as reported by KTLA. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
This incident occurred three and a half months after law enforcement had prepared for potential teen takeovers at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance and at SouthBay Pavilion. However, the anticipated gatherings at that time did not materialize.
Anyone with information regarding Saturday’s disturbance is encouraged to contact the Carson Sheriff’s Station at 310-830-1123.
Source: City News Service
