Mocobizscene-Around 1,000 juveniles caused a major disturbance at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance on Saturday evening. This led to a significant response from eleven different law enforcement agencies, according to Torrance Police. As a result of the incident, five people were arrested and both a police officer and a juvenile sustained injuries.
Torrance Police officers on foot patrol first noticed a group of young people involved in disruptive behavior at around 5 p.m. As stated in a press release by the Torrance Police Department, more groups started gathering, and their behavior became even more disruptive. The escalating chaos led to the involvement of officers from neighboring agencies.
The LAPD’s Air Support Division dispatched a helicopter to provide assistance to the officers on the ground. They formed a skirmish line and gave a dispersal order to the juveniles, instructing them to leave the mall premises and stay away from the nearby businesses.
During the incident, officers attended to 34 various businesses where additional groups had gathered and required dispersal. There were two reported injuries – a minor injury to a juvenile and a minor injury to a Torrance police officer. Both individuals received treatment and were released at the scene.
Despite the significant disruption, there were no instances of major looting or vandalism. However, there were several reports of juveniles throwing bottles without any discrimination. Mayor George K. Chen and Chief Jay Heart expressed concern over the disruption caused by the youths in response to the incident.
Mayor Chen emphasized that the community cannot tolerate crimes committed by both young people and adults who engage in premeditated and orchestrated acts of looting and property destruction. He firmly believes that there is room for improvement and that everyone must strive to do better.
Chief Heart highlighted that the acts of lawlessness observed were not representative of Torrance’s values. He commended the police department and their regional partners for their well-coordinated response.
The Del Amo Fashion Center had to close early on Saturday because of a disturbance. This incident has sparked a larger conversation about public safety and the importance of community initiatives to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
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