COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here," goes the famous '90s song by Semisonic, and it was the sentiment Saturday night at the Northgate Mall.
Around 9 p.m. Saturday, authorities said nearly 100 teenagers caused a ruckus in the parking lot as Colerain Township Police escorted them from the mall at closing time.
According to police reports, the altercation resulted in six arrests of minors ranging in age from 13 to 16 on charges of criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, menacing, obstructing official business and resisting arrest.
James Love, Colerain Township public information officer, said there have been issues in the past with unattended teenagers in the mall and that Colerain Police are working with the mall to alleviate the conflicts.
Officer Thomas Kinne wrote that around 7:30 p.m., he advised a few groups of teenagers who were not actively shopping to leave the mall since Colerain Police had received calls and in-person complaints from mall patrons and employees about large groups of teenagers loitering, occupying food court tables, destroying property, stealing advertisement signs and causing annoyance and alarm throughout the mall.
At closing time, Kinne reported recognizing the same teenagers yelling and alarming customers and mall employees who were departing for the night.
While Kinne was placing a female teenager under arrest, an additional female youth declared the police officers were "racist" and yelled obscenities before being arrested herself. This prompted a male teen to strip off his outer shirt and strike an "aggressive fighting stance" toward officers. He backed down when officers threatened to use mace to subdue him and was subsequently arrested.
The report filed with Colerain police did not indicate the races of the teenage suspects involved.
A dozen officers reported to the scene, arresting three other female teenagers involved in the altercation, including one who was hit with pepper spray after running from police toward the Colerain Avenue Waffle House and then taking a fighting stance toward officers, police said.
