A raging crowd of rowdy teenagers descended on picturesque Horny Corner beach in the tony Belmont Shore section of Long Beach at dusk Thursday, sparking a wild brawl that led to several teens being detained.
The chaos unfolded as the sun began to set on the first night of summer break for students enrolled at many schools in the area, including nearby Woodrow Wilson High, which enrolls more than 3,300.
Wild video captured at the scene shows throngs of teens clogging streets and the sand at two busy Southern California beaches, that of Horny Corner and nearby Rosie’s Dog Beach.
Teen girls in bikini tops threw punches at each other in the frenzy that ensued, prompting a number of local residents to call the police.
Officers responded within five minutes of the first call, according to the Long Beach Police Department, arriving in a flurry of squad cards with sirens blaring, just before 7 p.m.
Upon arrival, officers immediately began to break up a group of about 200 teens gathered at Horny Corner beach, near the intersection of Ocean Boulevardand Bayshore Avenue, according to the LBPD.
At one point, another fight broke out a couple of blocks away near Ocean Boulevard and Termino Avenue, prompting officers to detain several teens, police said.
In a statement provided to The Post, LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish said the fracas distracted the police from responding to other, potentially more serious, crimes.
“Large-scale disturbances like this deplete our resources and divert our officers from addressing other safety concerns in Long Beach, including emergency responses,” said Hebeish.
As of 9:45 p.m., some juveniles remained in the area, according to police. Officers gave numerous announcements regarding curfew enforcement, but the teens refused to leave.
Five were cited for violating the city’s curfew and taken to their families.
With summer heating up, Hebeish said police would “maintain an enhanced presence” at the popular beaches in the area, at least through the weekend.
“Any form of violent behavior or law violations will not be tolerated,” said Hebeish.
