Two teenagers were arrested and 18 tickets issued during a large gathering of juveniles in downtown Naperville Friday evening, according to Naperville police Cmdr. Rick Krakow.
About 100 juveniles congregated for an event that’s become known as a “teen takeover.” Krakow said he did not know when the group started to gather or when they dispersed.
Both teens were charged with possession of cannabis and possession of nicotine. One also faces a charge of obstructing a peace officer and the other of possession of alcohol by a minor. Krakow would not say what led to the two arrests.
About 18 citations were issued for such offenses as jaywalking and possession of nicotine and for traffic and vehicle violations, including license plate violations, loud exhaust, driving with a suspended license, illegal operation of a sound system, seatbelt violations, improper lane usage and speeding.
Friday’s teen takeover comes just weeks after a similar gathering at the beginning of June that saw anywhere from 250 to 350 individuals swarm the city’s downtown. Nine people were arrested at that takeover, including four adults and five juveniles. Nearly three dozen citations were issued.
A much smaller gathering of juveniles also took place on June 16 following an advertised takeover for Centennial Beach, Krakow said. About 30 juveniles gathered in and around downtown that day. No arrests were made, but five citations were issued for trespassing and two for traffic offenses.
In March, four juveniles were arrested on battery charges after a fight broke out during a downtown gathering of about 300 people. In mid-May, during a smaller incident involving about 40 juveniles, one was charged with aggravated assault and another with obstructing a peace officer.
Teen takeovers have been an issue for Naperville and other cities in recent years, especially during warmer months.
Last year, a 14-year-old was arrested for allegedly possessing a loaded, semiautomatic pistol during a gathering that involved about 150 people. Before that, there were two other takeovers that took place back to back last year, leading to numerous citations and two arrests. The second of those takeovers centered around a parking lot in which vehicles did burnouts and doughnuts and fireworks were set off as crowds watched.
There were similar incidents in 2023, including one in which police had to be dispatched downtown to break up a group of about 150.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
