Miami Police have arrested four teens after a large group of unruly juveniles who were fighting at Bayside Marketplace caused chaos on New Year's Day, officials said.
The large fight broke out shortly before 8:30 p.m. Monday, when officers responded to calls of a large group of teens causing a riot at the shopping center at 401 Biscayne Boulevard, according to Miami Police.
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According to an arrest report, the teens were allegedly lighting loud fireworks, causing panic among patrons in the mall while disrupting and damaging businesses.
A resident mistook the chaos as gunshots and reported an active shooter, the president of Downtown Neighbors Alliance, James Torres, said in a statement.
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"Some officers were heavily armed and approached the crowd displaying high-powered rifles, reflecting the fact that officers were initially erroneously told the situation involved an active shooter," Torres said.
Video posted on social media showed a massive police presence, with dozens of officers responding.
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Multiple officers escorted the teens out of the mall and Biscayne Boulevard was shut down between 2nd and 4th Streets as officers attempted to clear the area. Biscayne Boulevard later reopened.
Police then observed 10 to 15 juveniles actively assaulting a man in the area of Southeast 3rd Avenue and Southeast 2nd Street, the arrest report said. After police announced through a marked police vehicle to stop fighting and disperse, several teens fled the scene.
According to the arrest report, police were able to catch and detain four males - two 15-year-old boys, one 14-year-old and one 16-year-old - who were positively identified by the alleged victim.
According to the victim, he was traveling west on Southeast 2nd Street when he observed the large group of teens, the arrest report said.
He then saw one of the teens throw an object, which he believed to be a bottle, at his car which struck the passenger side. The man then stopped his vehicle to look for damage and asked who threw the bottle. When one of the teens came forward and said he threw it, an argument ensued and the man got jumped by multiple males, the arrest report said.
The report said the teens also entered his vehicle and stole the man's blue iPhone 13 Pro Max from his center console.
Video from the scene showed a large police presence at Bayside Marketplace as a group of people ran from the area.
According to Miami Police, two of the teens arrested are facing charges of burglary unoccupied conveyance, grand theft, battery, and resisting an officer without violence and two other teens were also arrested for resisting an officer without violence. All four are expected to appear in juvenile court on Wednesday.
No injuries were reported.
"We want to reassure everyone in our community that the Downtown Neighbors Alliance is asking our leaders to use this development as a teachable moment," Torres said.
He added that the Alliance is working with city leaders to prioritize public safety and will hold a town hall on Jan. 17 to address any concerns.
In the following days, social media went abuzz with conspiracy theories — the most popular being aliens — that something more went on to spark such a huge police response.
Miami Police on Friday disputed that: "Nothing is being withheld from the public. No aliens, UFOs, or ETs. No airports were closed. No power outages."
Editor's note: This story was updated on Friday, Jan. 5, with Miami Police's response to the social media speculation around the Bayside brawl.
