More than 70 minors were detained at the SouthBay Pavilion Mall on Saturday evening after a disturbance involving hundreds of juveniles, authorities said, and two youths accused of throwing fireworks at police were arrested.
Deputies were sent to the mall at 20700 Avalon Blvd. on Saturday afternoon, Sgt. K. Ay of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Carson station said.
A crowd gathered as a trash can was lit on fire outside the mall, sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Tracy Koerner said. When deputies responded, the youths ran into the mall, a nearby strip mall and surrounding neighborhoods, he said.
Some teens committed “sporadic thefts” of petty items as they ran through the mall, Koerner said.
In a social media statement late Saturday, LASD said the disturbance involved about 200 juveniles and that the disturbance also involved illegal fireworks being set off in a store in the mall.
“Carson deputies responded swiftly and issued dispersal orders. The group refused to comply, and surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to assist,” the statement said.
After the deputies arrived, they spent about five hours getting the youths to leave, according to Ay.
The 73 juveniles who were detained were issued notices to appear in court for failure to disperse, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Fulop. The additional two were arrested by Torrance police on suspicion of assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, he said.
Fulop said he had no additional information about the fireworks. Torrance police said Sunday they could not immediately respond to questions about whether the fireworks were lit when thrown and what type and size they were.
“Criminal activity of this nature is disruptive to our businesses and harmful to our community and will not be tolerated,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. “This incident will be fully investigated, and we aim to hold all those responsible accountable.”
The disturbance forced the mall to close early, according to KTLA.
No injuries were reported.
Saturday’s disturbance came three and a months after law enforcement braced for possible teen takeovers at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance and at SouthBay Pavilion. The gatherings law enforcement was concerned about at that time did not pan out.
Anyone with information on Saturday’s disturbance can contact the Carson Sheriff’s Station at 310-830-1123.
City News Service contributed to this report.