Arlington County police said Sunday that they have charged three teenagers with riot-related offenses after multiple brawls erupted Saturday evening inside Pentagon City Mall and forced authorities to close the shopping center early.
Police said the three teens — two girls ages 13 and 15, and a 14-year-old boy — were all charged with different riot-related crimes and with assaulting police officers in the mayhem that started just after 7 p.m. in the mall’s food court.
The boy was also charged with trespassing and having a weapon on him during the melee that left a mall security guard and a police officer suffering minor injuries, according to authorities.
The two girls were also treated for minor injuries.
“During the response to this incident, the 13-year-old suspect ignored officers’ commands, pushed an officer and resisted attempts to detain her. She continued to struggle but was taken into custody with the assistance of additional officers,” police said in a release.;
“An officer attempted to detain the 15-year-old suspect after she assaulted a store employee. She then assaulted an officer and mall security personnel before being taken into custody,” the release continued. “The 14-year-old suspect assaulted an officer and resisted arrest. He was taken into custody and a knife was recovered.”
**Multiple Incidents of Violence at Pentagon City Mall**
— killmoenetwork (@killmoenetwork) March 29, 2025
The Arlington Virginia Police Department (ArlingtonVaPD) is currently on scene at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City Mall to address multiple instances of violence.
Due to the ongoing unrest, it is strongly advised that… pic.twitter.com/5o43lPSR4e
Videos taken by mall patrons showed one fight in the center of the food court, with a security guard shoving one of the combatants off a person they were whaling on.
The video captures a second fight starting moments later, when a handful of people are seen running toward the shops and throwing punches at a person who is just out of the frame. The people in the food court rush to surround the brawl, as security guards push their way through the crowd.
Later videos show Arlington County police swarming the food court and pinning one of the agitators to the ground in order to detain them.
Another person is seen being led away with their hands behind their back by two other officers.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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