Several hundred teens and young adults illegally took over a popular New Jersey beach town, sparking chaos in the streets as police arrested several out-of-towners and forced officials to beef up security ahead of Memorial Day weekend.<\/p>\n
Long Branch police arrested six people after the rowdy crowd of partygoers converged on Pier Village on Tuesday night for an unauthorized \u201cpop-up\u201d event at the Jersey Shore beachfront hotspot.<\/p>\n
Officials allege that individuals in the crowd were fighting and jumping on parked cars as the takeover spread to the nearby boardwalk and surrounding streets.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of teens took over the boardwalk in Long Branch, NJ, on May 19, 2026. Anthony Pizzi<\/p>\n
The large crowds of teens were seen running through the Chelsea Avenue and Ocean Avenue intersections near the ocean as police attempted to thwart the mayhem, according to video posted to Facebook.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt really was a ton of people screaming, running,\u201d Anthony Pizzi, who was staying at a resort, told CBS New York<\/a>. \u201cSomebody pulled up the car right there and they just started jumping on the car.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of a sudden, the security for the resort came out and said we had to get in the resort [because] they were locking it down,\u201d Pizzi said.<\/p>\n One hundred thirty-nine officers were dispatched from several agencies to handle the crowd after the Long Branch Police Department initiated an \u201call-call and mutual aid activation.\u201d<\/p>\n Police in riot gear eventually pushed the crowd away, dispersing them from the center of the Pier Village District by 9:15 p.m.<\/p>\n Police with riot shields walk through the streets of Long Branch, dispersing the large crowd of youngsters. CBS News New York<\/p>\n One hundred thirty-nine officers were dispatched from several agencies to handle the crowd after the Long Branch Police Department initiated an \u201call-call and mutual aid activation.\u201d CBS News New York<\/p>\n City officials were forced to implement an 8 p.m. curfew for Tuesday due to the beachfront frenzy.<\/p>\n A \u201csubstantial portion\u201d of the crowd had traveled to the area by train, which caused a 30- to 45-minute delay for New Jersey Transit during the height of the chaos.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City of Long Branch takes these events seriously and will not tolerate conduct that endangers residents, visitors, business owners, or our public safety personnel,\u201d Long Branch business administrator and director of public safety Charles Shirley said.<\/p>\n \u201cPop-up gatherings of this nature have repeatedly disrupted Jersey Shore communities, and Long Branch is prepared to act decisively whenever public safety is threatened.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Two adult females, ages 19 and 20, and three juvenile females, all from Newark, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct following the event. <\/p>\n A sixth suspect, an unidentified boy from New Brunswick, was charged with eluding. <\/p>\n Detectives were also investigating two separate aggravated assaults and an alleged motor vehicle theft.<\/p>\n A \u201csubstantial portion\u201d of the crowd had traveled to the area by train, which caused a 30- to 45-minute delay for New Jersey Transit during the height of the chaos. CBS News New York<\/p>\n Police arrested six youngsters from out of town during the takeover. CBS News New York<\/p>\n No arrests have been reported for the additional crimes.<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s mayhem has forced local officials to step up the approach for the area ahead of the long holiday weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Memorial Day weekend approaching, the Long Branch Police Department, in coordination with the Monmouth County Sheriff\u2019s Office and their regional mutual aid partners, will maintain a strong, visible presence throughout the beachfront and downtown corridors,\u201d the city said. \u201cAnyone who travels to Long Branch intending to engage in violence or disorder should expect to be arrested and prosecuted.\u201d<\/p>\n Tuesday night\u2019s frenzy took place hours after three people were stabbed<\/a> when hundreds of teens took over two separate Rhode Island beaches.<\/p>\n The New England crowds overran the Narragansett Town Beach, where the triple stabbing took place, and 20 miles away at Second Beach in Middletown, RI.<\/p>\n