No arrests after teens go on a rampage during haunted New Jersey hayride

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — Police say they have made no arrests after hundreds of teenagers went on a rampage last weekend, disrupting a haunted cart fundraiser, taking over and stealing from a convenience store and brawling in residential neighborhoods in a Philadelphia suburb.

Collingswood, a town in western New Jersey, said it would “review and revise public event plans in light of this new rioting trend.”

Although no arrests were made immediately following the violence in and around Knight Park and the robberies at the Wawa convenience store, an investigation continues, the borough’s mayor and police chief said Monday in a press release. It was not immediately clear whether any injuries had been reported.

Officials said more than 200 teenagers were involved, many of whom were dropped off by trucks after 8 p.m. Saturday at the park where the district’s Parent-Teacher Association was sponsoring the Halloween season event. The teens quickly began fighting with each other, cutting lines and running recklessly through the area.

Local police decided to break up the event, calling neighboring departments for help and dispersing the teens. In doing so, a group of 50 to 70 young people invaded the nearby convenience store, stealing items and causing disorder. The police dispersed them and the store closed its doors for the night.

Meanwhile, a group of nearly 80 teenagers engaged in what authorities called “a massive fight” in a residential neighborhood near the park. The police also dispersed these teenagers.