MORENO VALLEY: Large brawl, reports of gunfire at mall brings deputies, rattles nerves

MORENO VALLEY — Reports of gunfire and a large brawl involving dozens of teens and young adults inside Moreno Valley Mall’s food court brought deputies racing to the location Friday evening, Apr. 20. Although initial reports of gunfire were later determined to be the sound of chairs and tables being thrown at security personnel trying to break up the melee, several people were detained during the investigation, according to sheriff’s officials. It was not immediately known if officials made any arrests.

Cell phone video from scene showed pandemonium and chaos as mall security personnel tried to quell the violence and the video showed dozens of mall patrons scattering from the food court and running for the mall’s exits.

In at least one video recording of the incident, (shown below) people can be heard screaming in fear and shouting in anger as security personnel try – unsuccessfully – to bring the situation under control. As the short video continues, constant loud booms and bangs from chairs, tables and other objects being thrown – similar to the sound gunfire – reverberated and echoed through the mall.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Moreno Valley Police Station responded to the mall about 7 p.m., after receiving “multiple” reports of a large and growing disturbance inside the mall’s food court area.

While deputies were still headed to the mall, 911 callers reported what they believed was gunshots being fired inside the food court, prompting every available deputy and a Sheriff’s Aviation Unit to respond to the mall.

911 callers and witnesses later reported about “40-50” people, “mostly girls,” fighting and told emergency dispatchers that the combatants had taken to picking up and throwing chairs, tables and anything else not bolted to the ground.

Security personnel trying to break up the brawl soon reported being overwhelmed by the violent crowd and reported that many of those fighting had turned their anger and violence toward mall officials.

As deputies converged on the mall with emergency lights flashing and sirens blaring, area residents and employees as well as mall guests took to social media, sharing first hand accounts, speculation and rumors from the location.

While the Sheriff’s helicopter Star-9 circled overhead, shining its spotlight on people fleeing from the location on foot and in vehicles, witnesses reported that deputies on the ground made entrance into the mall, armed with handguns, shotguns, rifles, pepperball launchers and other less lethal options.

According to at least one witness, responding deputies used pepperball rifles to break up the brawl and push combatants out the mall’s exit.

Veronica Flores later shared her experience and cell phone video of the incident on social media writing, “I seen it all…Kids rumbled in the food courts…throwing tables and chairs.”

Another witness, CL Trimble, said he was leaving the mall’s movie theater when a mall security guard told him there had been a shooting inside the mall’s food court and ushered them from the theater.

“(He) made us leave through the back door instead of the front,” Trimble explained – saying he could see all the activity inside the mall. “I’m not sure (what actually happened), I just went by what security said,” said Trimble.

Jocelyne Arellano, who works at one of the food court’s restaurants, wrote that she saw the fight break out “right in front of” Hot Dog on a Stick, where she works. Arellano explained, “The loud noise that might have sounded like gun shots were the chairs the kids were picking up to throw at the security guards.”

Riverside Sheriff’s spokesperson Investigator Munoz later told media outlets that despite initial reports, deputies had determined that no firearms had been discharged during the melee.

The food court area was briefly shut down following the fight, while mall employees began cleaning up and assessing property damage from the violent incident.

Although officials detained several people during their investigation, it was not known if deputies made any arrests.

Deputies are still working to determine what started the fight and their investigation is ongoing.

🚨 MORENO VALLEY
At 7:00 P.M.,@MoValPD responded to the MoVal Mall for a report of numerous juveniles in an altercation at the food court. The food court area was locked down & juveniles were detained. After searching the area, there were no indications of any shots being fired

— Riverside County Sheriff PIO-West (@RSOPIOWest) April 21, 2018

Veronica Flores Facebook video

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 46, recently moved to Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.