Add The New York Post on Google Several hundred teens and young adults illegally took over a popular New Jersey beach town, sparking chaos in the streets as police arrested several out-of-towners and forced officials to beef up security ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Long Branch police arrested six people after the rowdy crowd of partygoers converged on Pier Village on Tuesday night for an unauthorized “pop-up” event at the Jersey Shore beachfront hotspot.
Officials allege that members in the crowd were fighting and jumping on parked cars as the takeover spread to the nearby boardwalk and surrounding streets
The large crowds of teens were seen running through the Chelsea Ave and Ocean Ave intersections near the ocean as police attempted to thwart the mayhem, according to video posted to Facebook.
“It really was a ton of people screaming, running,” Anthony Pizzi, who was staying at a resort, told CBS New York, “Somebody pulled up the car right there and they just started jumping on the car.
“All of a sudden, the security for the resort came out and said we had to get in the resort [because] they were locking it down,” Pizzi said.
One hundred thirty-nine officers were dispatched from several forces to handle the crowd after the Long Branch Police Department initiated an “all-call and mutual aid activation.”
Police in riot gear eventually pushed the crowd away, dispersing them from the center of the Pier Village District by 9:15 p.m.
City officials were forced to implement an 8 p.m curfew for Tuesday night due to the beachfront frenzy.
A “substantial portion” of the crowd had traveled to the area by train, which caused a 30- to 45-minute delay for New Jersey Transit during the height of the chaos.
“The City of Long Branch takes these events seriously and will not tolerate conduct that endangers residents, visitors, business owners, or our public safety personnel,” Long Branch Business Administration and Director of Public Safety Charles Shirley said.
“Pop-up gatherings of this nature have repeatedly disrupted Jersey Shore communities, and Long Branch is prepared to act decisively whenever public safety is threatened.”
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Two adult females, ages 19 and 20, and three juvenile females, all from Newark, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct following the event.
A sixth suspect, an unidentified boy from New Brunswick, was charged with eluding.
Detectives were also investigating two separate aggravated assaults and an alleged motor vehicle theft.
No arrests have been reported for the additional crimes.
Tuesday’s mayhem has forced local officials to step up the approach for the area ahead of the long holiday weekend.
“With Memorial Day weekend approaching, the Long Branch Police Department, in coordination with the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and their regional mutual aid partners, will maintain a strong, visible presence throughout the beachfront and downtown corridors,” the city said. “Anyone who travels to Long Branch intending to engage in violence or disorder should expect to be arrested and prosecuted.
Tuesday night’s frenzy took place hours after three people were stabbed when hundreds of teens took over two separate Rhode Island beaches.
The New England crowds overran the Narragansett Town Beach, where the triple stabbing took place, and 20 miles away at Second Beach in Middletown, RI.
Police arrested 51 people at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire after multiple fights broke out between a large group of youngsters on Tuesday, NBC 10 reported.
No arrests were made in the stabbing, and police have not publicly identified a suspect.
