A spate of stabbings and fights led to the closure of a beloved boardwalk and the arrest of more than 70 people — including 21 minors — as tens of thousands of revelers descended upon the Jersey Shore for Memorial Day weekend, according to cops and reports.
The violence unfolded during a 72-hour span that began early Friday and ended around 6 a.m. Monday in Seaside Heights, despite measures taken to prevent any issues after a similar bout of chaotic violence broke out over last year’s long holiday weekend.
Officers arrested 52 adults and 21 juveniles over the weekend, Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman told NJ.com.
All three of the young men who were stabbed within a block of the famed boardwalk refused to cooperate with investigators, so there were no arrests made, Korman told the outlet.
The popular two-mile stretch, which features two amusement piers, arcades and other attractions, was temporarily closed by Police Chief Thomas Boyd after the third stabbing just after midnight Monday in a “proactive approach to ensure public safety,” Korman told the Asbury Park Press.
It is not clear how long the boardwalk was closed to revelers.
Among those arrested was a 21-year-old man from nearby Beachwood, who was collared after officers responded to a 911 call about a fight. He was charged with possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, resisting arrest and obstruction, police said.
Amid the bedlam, a pedestrian in Seaside Park was struck by a car and taken by helicopter to a hospital, Korman told APP.
Cops said that Seaside Heights welcomed an estimated 100,000 visitors over the Memorial Day weekend.
“The last few days have been mayhem in this town,” Sarah Frailey, who bartends at EJ’s Tap House along the boardwalk, told the outlet.
“Kids were out of control. It’s like the ‘Jersey Shore’ show.”
An additional 100 police officers were deployed this year in an effort to prevent a repeat of last year’s chaos, NJ.com reported last week.
Borough officials had coordinated a plan to include outside law enforcement if the crowds, especially teens and young adults, got too rowdy, Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz told NJ Advance Media.
Dozens were nabbed during last year’s festivities in the Jersey Shore enclave, where a 15-year-old was stabbed during a brawl on the boardwalk. It was also closed briefly after what authorities called “civil unrest” that caused a panicked crowd to sprint down exit ramps amid reports of shots being fired on the boardwalk.
