'Like A Stampede': Woodbridge Mall Workers Recount Saturday Mayhem

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Store owners inside Woodbridge Center mall recount what they witnessed Saturday night, when more than 500 teenagers descended on the mall in yet another "pop-up" gathering organized on TikTok and Instagram.

There were no arrests made. Of the 500+ teens, only one juvenile received minor injuries and he was treated and released to his parents. But Woodbridge Police did have to call in for back-up to disperse the packs of teens that were running through the mall, screaming and sometimes fighting with each other.

A man who works in the kitchen of a fast food chicken restaurant in the mall described what he saw. At about 8 p.m. Saturday, he said he peered out from the kitchen to see "packs" of teenagers running through the mall.

"It was kind of like a stampede," he said. "I saw what seemed like 100 people running at the same time through the mall. I saw kids fighting and throwing chairs around. I think that could be counted as violent."

Woodbridge Police said some shoppers inside the mall were scared, so they huddled inside stores, and store managers, fearing vandalism or looting, pulled their gates down.

Yes, that happened, said the employee who spoke with Patch. He watched in shock as someone ran into the fast-food restaurant where he works and "hid behind the counter in the kitchen."

"It was kind of strange to see someone start hiding in here," he said.

He said the teens did not seem scary, but they were shouting.

"I think if you're at a safe distance you're OK, but I could understand why you would be scared and wouldn't want to go near them."

Nari Mahtani, of the family-owned Mahtani Jewelers, said at 1 p.m. Saturday other store owners told him police were preparing for large crowds of people inside the mall later that evening.

"The mall never told us anything; it was other stores who told me," he said. "At 6:30 p.m. I decided to close the gates and close up shop. We are running a jewelry store and we don't want to risk anything. Other stores closed early too; I know Kay Jewelers did."

He said as he was closing up, he started to see large groups of teens move through the mall, sometimes walking, sometimes running.

"They were getting loud and I heard they were banging things with a chair in front of Chick Fil A. There was a lot of people, but there were also a lot of cops."

He said the teens and police moved in groups through the mall, eyeing each other warily.

"The teens were just moving through the mall, keeping an eye on the cops. And police did the same."

Woodbridge Police said they learned earlier from social media that a large gathering was planned to take place at the mall. At 11 a.m. Saturday, Woodbridge Police held a briefing at the mall, attended by police officers from surrounding towns, where an operational plan was unveiled.

But it would not be until approximately 7:30 p.m. when the teens started pouring into the mall. That was because they were told they could no longer get into a carnival that was being held in the mall parking lot, which had to close early. The carnival had already stopped admitting anyone at 7 p.m., as it reached capacity. Multiple fights broke out among teens waiting in line to get into, and teens started jumping the fence to enter, said police.

With nowhere to go, the teens poured into the mall.

Police were already on high alert after 300 teens descended on Menlo Park mall a week earlier. Seven teens were arrested in the Menlo Park mall incident, including one teen charged with assault on an Edison police officer.

Kel Stone is the manager of Lids, the accessories store that sells hats, sports jerseys and other apparel marketed to teens. He said he deliberately stayed open Saturday night while other stores closed, thinking maybe he would get some customers.

"It was just kids being kids," he said. "I didn't think of it as a big deal. I saw packs of kids running through the mall and they seemed to be trying to avoid police. The police were trying to get them out of the mall, and the teens were going the opposite way. I didn't see anything destructive."

He also said he thought Woodbridge Police responded appropriately.

"It was just crowd control. There was a similar incident in Menlo Park mall, so they were just here for crowd control. They (the police) were here to be seen and to make it known if you do something out of order, you will be reprimanded. I'm sure it was annoying and a little bit of a hassle for the police to round up all the kids and get them out."

More Than 500 Teens Descend On Woodbridge Mall Saturday Night, Shut Down Carnival (Tuesday)

Teens Descend On Menlo Park Mall; 7 Arrested (May 19)

Teens From Woodbridge, New Brunswick Involved In Menlo Park Mall Brawl (May 19)