Dozens of juveniles were detained Saturday night in Carson, California, amid a major disturbance at a shopping mall.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of a large gathering of about 200 juveniles at the SouthBay Pavilion Mall around 5:20 p.m., the department wrote on social media.
During the gathering, juveniles lit a garbage can on fire and set off illegal fireworks inside a store at the mall, according to the sheriff’s department. It is unclear what led to the gathering.
Deputies issued dispersal orders, but the teenagers refused to comply, the sheriff’s department said. Additional law enforcement agencies were called to assist, as the juveniles were disrupting business and endangering shoppers.
The mall was forced to close in response to the gathering, KTLA reported.
About 60 to 70 juveniles were reportedly detained and given citations in connection with the incident, according to the outlet. Law enforcement spent about five hours at the mall as the teenagers were taken into custody.
The detained juveniles will be required to appear in court at a future date, the sheriff’s department wrote on social media.
No injuries have been reported in connection with the incident.
There were also no reports of retail theft at the stores inside the mall, KTLA reported.