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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. () — We are learning more details about the hundreds of people detained after Fourth of July celebrations in Newport Beach descended into chaos.
More than half of those cited were from out of state, new data from Newport Beach police shows, and the majority of those were from Arizona. Charges range from alcohol and firework-related offenses to disorderly conduct and resisting police.
The city of Newport Beach is still reeling from the weekend chaos when thousands of minors and young adults swarmed the shores, prompting police on the peninsula to close down the coast.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Over 400 people arrested during chaos at Newport Beach July 4th celebrations, police say
The chaos included fireworks, blocked roads, fights and the looting of a Pavilions grocery store. Police said people launched fireworks into crowds and directly at police officers.
The president of the Newport Beach Police Association says the massive crowds stemmed from an alleged TikTok takeover.
“Saturday was just insane,” said Richard Tavano, who has been coming to his home in Newport Beach from Las Vegas for decades. He says while July 4th is always busy, he’s never witnessed anything quite like last weekend.
“Let people have the beach. Let them do what they’re going to do, and let the mayhem be out there, because you’re not going to ever be able to stop it unless you close Newport down and didn’t allow anyone but residents to be here,” Tavano said.
Tavano said the chaos continued when crowds flooded into the streets and nearby shopping centers, where an outside display at a Pavilions supermarket was destroyed. He said he knows of a few people who were detained.
SEE ALSO: Mostly young people from out of state among 402 arrests in Newport Beach July 4th chaos, police say
Newport Beach police believe the majority of the people who caused chaos at Newport Beach on July 4th were young people from out of state. The gathering was reportedly organized on TikTok.
“They got arrested for unlawful assembly,” Tavano said.
New data shows nearly 440 people were arrested, mostly from out of state, including Arizona and Nevada.
The detainees were from as far away as the Netherlands and Ontario, Canada. In total, 145 of them were from Arizona, and the youngest was just 13 years old.
“There were just like, kids packed across the street, just like, wall-to-wall kids in the street, just lighting off fireworks, jumping on cars. I mean, it was like, honestly scary,” said Shannon Wilmoth.
According to police, more than 350 officers responded to the scene to restore order.
Many locals are calling for change, though it’s unclear what change would look like.
“There’s just not enough space, really, for all those people in cars. Not to just keep locals in, but just, you know, to kind of monitor how many people are getting onto the peninsula, would probably be like, a great thing to try to implement, ” Wilmoth said.
Newport Beach police noted that the arrest and citation numbers are still preliminary and will possibly change as officials continue to go through the data.
Impact on local business owners
At one point on Saturday, the situation became so chaotic and dangerous that some business owners said they had to close down on what would have been one of their busiest days of the year.
“This never happened before in the past,” said Mario Marovic, who owns several businesses on the Balboa Peninsula, including popular bars and restaurants like Malarky’s Irish Pub and Stag Bar. “We hit peak sales and profitability. My own staff is happy, because they’re able to make more gratuity and feed their families.”
Newport Beach police had to shut down the beaches and declare an unlawful assembly as crowds became out of control.
Around 8:45 p.m., Marovic got a call from police, asking him if his businesses would refrain from letting customers in for the rest of the night.
“Our answer was immediately, ‘Yes, no problem.’ About ten minutes passed, and we got a follow-up call, and they asked if we would consider closing everything, and we said, ‘Yes, no problem,'” Marovic explained.
At one point on Saturday, the situation became so chaotic and dangerous that some business owners said they had to close down on what would have been one of their busiest days of the year.
Photos show damage from a firework that struck a gas meter at one of his buildings.
“They were here looking to cause destruction,” Marovic said.
For Brad Barton, the owner of the NWPRT Brand, he shut his store on 22nd Street down before 3 p.m.
“There were mortars, there were, I want to say a thousand, maybe more, kids or young adults that were in this vicinity, and it was pretty scary,” Barton said. “It was definitely a day that I won’t forget anytime soon.”
As the community has come together to clean up and restore a sense of normalcy in the tight-knit beach town, they’re also growing frustrated learning who was a part of the mayhem — nearly 100 juveniles.
“People that came here were minors. Their parents should be ashamed of them,” Marovic said.
“Hopefully, as it progresses, there’s some accountability on that side as well,” Barton said.
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