12 Arrested Downtown After Large Group of Teens Causes Disturbances

A dozen teenagers were arrested downtown Sunday, as the warm weather once again brought a rowdy crowd of young people, fighting and causing chaos in the River North neighborhood.

Police said the teens were arrested for fighting Sunday evening as officers were trying to disperse a large group that had gathered downtown and caused multiple disturbances near Chicago Avenue and State Street and Chicago Avenue and Dearborn Street.

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The arrests come less than a week after hundreds of teens ran through downtown causing trouble, and fighting among themselves. Police say they had 200 officers on the scene, and as many as 500 young people were involved. A total of 26 people were arrested, charged with disorderly conduct, and released into the custody of their parents.

Over the last several years, Chicago police often have dealt with large groups of teenagers causing disturbances downtown during warm weather over spring break or summer vacation, as large groups of teens gather and act rowdy along the lakefront, the Magnificent Mile, and other areas in and around downtown.

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