A popular New Jersey beach town found itself in turmoil as several hundred teenagers and young adults descended upon it, creating chaos in the streets. This unexpected takeover prompted police to arrest several individuals from outside the area and compelled local authorities to enhance security measures in anticipation of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
The disruption unfolded at Long Branch’s Pier Village on Tuesday night, where a lively and unauthorized “pop-up” event attracted a large group to this famous Jersey Shore destination. In response, Long Branch police detained six individuals amid the unruly gathering of partygoers.
According to officials, the crowd engaged in disruptive behavior, including fighting and leaping onto parked vehicles, as the disorder spread from Pier Village to the nearby boardwalk and adjoining streets.
Video footage shared on Facebook captured scenes of young people dashing through the intersections of Chelsea Ave and Ocean Ave, close to the ocean, while police worked to quell the pandemonium.
Witnesses, like Anthony Pizzi, who was visiting a local resort, described the situation to CBS New York. “It really was a ton of people screaming, running,” Pizzi recounted. “Somebody pulled up the car right there and they just started jumping on the car.”
Pizzi added that resort security intervened, urging guests to return inside as they began locking down the premises to ensure safety.
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.”
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.
