More than 70 youths were arrested after a crowd went wild at a Carson mall Saturday night, setting off fireworks and setting a trash can on fire.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Carson Station responded shortly before 7 p.m. to reports of a crowd of about 200 people, mostly young people, causing a disturbance at the SouthBay Pavilion mall.
“A trash can was set on fire and illegal fireworks were set off inside a retail store within the mall,” the Sheriff’s Department posted on Instagram. “Carson deputies quickly responded and issued dispersal orders. The group refused to comply and surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to assist.”
The mall was placed on lockdown and officers ordered the crowd to disperse. About 73 youths who did not disperse were detained and issued citations that will require court appearances, said sheriff's Sgt. Robert Fulop. One adult was arrested and several youths were taken to the Carson station and turned over to adults, Fulop said.
The mall's management did not immediately respond to a phone call and email sent by The Times.
Fulop said he understood the mall had a chaperone policy similar to one instituted earlier this year by Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance in response to two fights that occurred there last year.
Fulop said the policy did not appear to be being enforced.
“None of them, as far as I know, had an adult chaperone,” he said. “It can be problematic in any location like that. There are many entry points and they can make their way through different parts of the mall.”
The mall was finally cleared around midnight, Fulop said.
