Police Disperse Crowd of Several Hundred at New Jersey Beach Town

Several hundred teens and young adults gathered at Pier Village in Long Branch, New Jersey, on Tuesday night. m. curfew after reports of fighting and property damage. Long Branch police received reports that members of the crowd were fighting and jumping on parked cars near the boardwalk and surrounding streets.

Officers from multiple departments responded after the Long Branch Police Department issued an all-call and mutual aid activation.

M. Two adult females ages 19 and 20 and three juvenile females from Newark were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. A sixth suspect, an unidentified boy from New Brunswick, was charged with eluding. Detectives are investigating two separate aggravated assaults and an alleged motor vehicle theft connected to the gathering. No arrests have been reported in those cases.

City officials said they will maintain a strong police presence along the beachfront and downtown areas through Memorial Day weekend. The statement warned that anyone traveling to Long Branch to engage in violence or disorder should expect to be arrested and prosecuted.

A substantial portion of the crowd arrived by train, causing a 30- to 45-minute delay for New Jersey Transit during the height of the event. Officials in Long Branch stated they take such incidents seriously and will not tolerate conduct that endangers residents, visitors, business owners, or public safety personnel.