The disorder that swept through Newport Beach over the Fourth of July weekend was not largely driven by the city’s own residents, according to police data.
Authorities say most of the hundreds of people arrested or cited during the holiday chaos on the Balboa Peninsula had traveled in from outside the affluent coastal community, including visitors from other parts of California, Arizona and additional states.
Out of 353 people detained in connection with the Independence Day unrest, only 10 were Newport Beach residents, police reported.
The rest of those cited or arrested were from communities elsewhere in California, as well as Arizona and other states.
Overall, officers issued 316 misdemeanor citations and made 37 arrests as they moved to control the large, unruly crowds that gathered during the holiday period.
Police said 25 juveniles were among those arrested, though officials noted that the juvenile cases cover a wider stretch of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The largest portion of those detained came from California and neighboring Arizona, the data shows.
In total, 161 of the people arrested or cited were California residents, while 145 were from Arizona.
Others traveled from Nevada, Utah, Texas, Florida and other states, with citations reaching as far away as Canada and the Netherlands.
Police did not release the specific crimes alleged against those arrested.
The chaos erupted near Newport Pier after a massive crowd of minors and young adults flooded the Balboa Peninsula.
Officials said the situation quickly turned dangerous, with people blocking roadways, restricting emergency vehicle access and throwing mortars, fireworks and other projectiles at officers.
At least one officer was reportedly injured.
Law enforcement agencies from around Orange County rushed in to assist roughly 350 Newport Beach police officers as the crowd grew and the situation spiraled out of control.
Video from the scene showed mounted officers moving through the beach as authorities cleared the shoreline and shut down the area from 22nd Street to 36th Street around 3 p.m. Saturday.
The disorder also spread into local businesses.
A Pavilions supermarket on West Balboa Boulevard was ransacked, while video showed groups of people being detained and transported away on Orange County Transportation Authority buses.
The Newport Beach Police Association blamed a social media-driven gathering it called an alleged “TikTok Takeover” for drawing the crowd.
The association president declined to provide additional details.
City Manager Seimone Jurjis said officials were still trying to determine exactly what attracted the massive crowd, including whether social media influencers or people looking to ignore the city’s “Not in Newport” campaign played a role.
Newport Beach Councilmember Erik Weigand said the newly released numbers backed up concerns that social media helped fuel the chaos.
“This data clearly backs up the TikTok narrative,” he told The Orange County Register.
“These kids were incited by social media, interested in coming to cause trouble or at least go crazy. I don’t think it was necessarily alcohol-fueled.”
Weigand said the number of minors and people between 18 and 22 years old stood out, saying the incident was unlike the typical alcohol-related problems the city has experienced during past Fourth of July celebrations.
He also focused on the number of Arizona residents involved, questioning why so many people traveled to Newport Beach.
“It used to be San Diego, that was the place a lot of Arizonans came to,” he said. “Now it’s Newport.”
Weigand said officials should examine whether short-term rentals are contributing to large gatherings, noting Newport Beach has more than 1,550 short-term rentals.
“If you’re coming from Arizona, you’re not here for a day trip,” he said. “Where are these kids staying? Are they staying at a cheaper location, or are their parents getting an Airbnb and just letting them run wild?”
He said the city should consider stronger controls for rentals during high-risk periods, including possible minimum stays.
The Newport Beach disturbance surpassed another Southern California social media-fueled gathering: Huntington Beach’s 2021 “Adrian’s Kickback” event, which resulted in nearly 180 arrests.
Police previously announced 402 arrests between midnight July 3 and 6 a.m. July 5 as officers continued responding to the fallout from the holiday weekend chaos.
