Hundreds Of Youths Brawl, Bring Chaos To Camden Co. Carnival

BELLMAWR, NJ — A carnival erupted into chaos Saturday when hundreds of teens flooded into the neighborhood.

Fights broke out in and around the St. Joachim Parish Carnival in Bellmawr on Saturday night, police said.

During the mayhem, an elderly woman was knocked over and injured her head, police said. She was brought to a local hospital. Additionally, a vehicle struck a kid while leaving the area, leaving the victim with non-life-threatening injuries.

Several cars and streets signs were damaged — as was the window of a business.

Three juveniles were arrested at the scene and charged with disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and simple assault. Bellmawr police continue to investigate the incident.

In recent years, several family-friendly gatherings in Camden County and around the state have faced similar issues of disorderly behavior from large groups of youths.

"I would like to thank all responding officers that showed great restraint when dealing with the groups of unruly teens/young adults," Bellmawr Police Chief William Perna said in a statement. "The lawless groups of unsupervised juveniles and young people ruined a great family-oriented event which has taken place every May to raise funds for the church."

At around 8:30 Saturday, officers working event security noticed an influx of juveniles and young adults arriving. The crowd had an estimated 200 people.

Twenty minutes later, officials began shutting down the carnival early. But more youths kept showing up, disobeying officer orders to leave as the carnival closed, police said.

The crowd ballooned to around 400-plus juveniles and young adults by 9:30 p.m., police said. They continued to run throughout the carnival and onto several residential properties, businesses and in the middle of the street, police said.

Officers declared the incident under control at around 11:30 p.m.

The carnival ran all week, bringing rides, games and family fun to St. Joachim Parish.

Several family-friendly gatherings have dealt with similar issues, which have hit a boiling point over the past year in Camden County.

Last year, hundreds of teens flooded into Gloucester Township Day and brawled throughout the park and surrounding area. This year's occasion has been indefinitely postponed because of credible, violent threats, officials said.

• Read more: Violent Threats Leave Gloucester Township Day's Future In Doubt

Similar issues surfaced last year at a festival in Pennsauken and a haunted hayride in Collingswood. Meanwhile, Cherry Hill Mall expanded its ban on unaccompanied minors after a fight in the shopping center.

Despite juvenile offenses trending downward nationally, incidents of unruly behavior have become all too familiar at community gatherings around the region.

State Assembly Member Cody D. Miller (NJ-4) says there's a youth behavior crisis for which offending juveniles — and, in certain cases, their parents — must be held accountable.

"I know the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our youth," Miller said. "However, that is not a reason to allow this type of behavior to continue to happen."

Miller's district includes Gloucester Township. He and fellow district legislators introduced several bills last year in efforts to prevent such chaos but they have yet to become law.

One of the bills, which would criminalize public brawling, reached Gov. Phil Murphy's desk. But the governor conditionally vetoed it on Thursday, which sends the bill back to the State Legislature to consider Murphy's critiques.

"The bill as currently written raises several First Amendment concerns that could have the unintended effect of chilling free speech and peaceful protests," Murphy said in the conditional veto.