Horde of teens causes disturbance at Stockton malls

Dozens of teens allegedly fought, harassed customers and jumped on top of cars Tuesday night at Weberstown and Sherwood malls in Stockton.

The Stockton Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting a scuffle about 6:45 p.m., according to a department release. Officers arrived to find approximately 100 juveniles, who proved uncooperative with law enforcement, between the two neighboring shopping centers.

Police declared a state of “unlawful assembly” after about an hour and shepherded the teens out of the malls’ parking lots, but not before several stores closed out of fear their products would be stolen or vandalized. Two youths were arrested on suspicion of trespassing.

Social media users reported being evacuated from Weberstown Mall as entrances were closed off to keep the throng at bay.

Rumors of someone in the crowd having a gun proved to be unsubstantiated, police said.

This story was originally published December 27, 2017 at 7:58 AM.