LAKEWOOD, Calif.—Hundreds of rowdy juveniles gathered at Lakewood Center Mall Sept. 23, leading sheriff’s deputies headquartered nearby to call for help from other areas to shut down the area and send them away.
A social media post led about 300 juveniles to gather starting at 2 p.m. at the mall at Lakewood Boulevard and Candlewood Street, said Deputy Tracy Koerner of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. The juveniles came and went throughout the afternoon.
There may have been a fight early on that was quickly stopped by deputies, Mr. Koerner said.
The Lakewood sheriff’s station called for help from the Century, Norwalk, and Pico Rivera stations to help get the juveniles out of the stores and the mall, he said.
The shutdown started at 7 p.m. with anchor stores and the entire mall was closed by 9 p.m., Mr. Koerner said.
KCAL video taken from over the scene about 9 p.m. showed the mall deserted except for multiple sheriff’s patrol cars.
The teens reportedly climbed on cars and lit fireworks, according to the Orange County Register.
No arrests, thefts or injuries were reported, Mr. Koerner said.
