Locals outraged: 200+ unruly juveniles disrupt haunted hayride, brawl in Collingswood, NJ — Zero arrested

Officials in Collingswood say over 200 juveniles trashed a haunted hayride event, took over a Wawa, brawled in the streets, and created chaos this past weekend — and not one person was arrested.

The Collingswood Police Department says during the Collingswood PTA's Haunted Hayride in Knight Park Saturday night, over 200 juveniles were dropped off by numerous vehicles on the outskirts of the event, which was "quickly disrupted by fights breaking out, largely between arriving youths, and unruly behavior."

At about 8:20, those juveniles and young adults began fighting each other, running recklessly through the crowd and cutting in line for the hayride. Once the situation was brought under control, to an extent, the event was shut down and families were escorted out of the area.

As officers were in the midst of dispersing the crowd in the park, police say they received a call from a Wawa on Haddon Avenue stating nearly 70 juveniles had taken over the store. Again, officers arrived, they dispersed the group, and the store was closed.

Meanwhile, back at the park, the remaining officers there then requested additional assistance as "80 juveniles were engaged in a massive fight and were met with resistance from youths punching, kicking and pushing past the officers to continue fighting." Some juveniles broke away from the main group and began running through nearby residential backyards. Officers were eventually able to disperse the crowd and restore peace.

• NJOAG: Directive establishing policies, practices, and procedures to promote juvenile justice reform

Hundreds of juveniles — zero arrests

The Collingswood Police Department said in a social media post that while they are "committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all attendees during special events," no arrests were made and the incident remains under investigation.

Local residents were quick to weigh in with their opinions:

Event organizers comment

Those behind the Collingswood PTA Haunted Hayride commented on Facebook Monday,

Thank you to everyone for your patience, for all of your help, for creating something special for the children and their families and supporting the CHS/CMS students and staff. Unfortunately, as everyone saw and realized a lot of the evening was beyond what could have been expected, but with the feedback and awareness we will review and organize to determine a way to move into next year.