On Saturday, the Long Beach Police Department worked together with The Pike Outlets’ stores to shut down early. This decision came after a significant disturbance broke out, involving multiple altercations among young people.
A social media post that went viral led to approximately 200 young individuals congregating at the Long Beach shopping center. The police, having been alerted about the gathering, had officers positioned close to the area.
A video captured by OC Hawk, a stringer service, showed two young girls engaging in a physical fight. A crowd of teenagers encircled them, with many recording the event on their phones.
The police stepped in to disperse the crowd and arrested the two girls involved in the fight. A few officers remained on-site to monitor the situation. In anticipation of possibly detaining a large number of young people, the police had a bus brought to The Pike Outlets.
In response to the incident, the owners of The Pike Outlets and the store proprietors decided to close their businesses earlier than usual. The shopping center was closed by 6 p.m. on Saturday, and visitors were asked to leave. The police warned that anyone failing to leave within 10 minutes would face arrest for trespassing.
“Attention in the area, the property is now closed by management,” announced the Long Beach police. “Anyone who remains in the area in 10 minutes will be subject to arrest for trespassing.”
The Long Beach community has recently expressed concerns following a surge in violence. A shooting incident occurred in a crowded area on Saturday, but fortunately, there were no injuries.
This shooting happened close to where, on March 11, a food truck vendor bravely defended an elderly woman from a robbery attempt and was nearly stabbed to death.
Just eight days before this, another individual was fatally stabbed at a Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurant in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach. This occurred after he reportedly tried to defend a group of people during an argument. The suspect in this stabbing was later apprehended at LAX, as confirmed by the police. Following this incident, the restaurant now closes earlier.
The two individuals arrested during the outlet fight were identified as an adult woman and a young girl. The reason behind their altercation remains unclear.
This story is still developing and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.