Newport Beach’s chaotic Fourth of July weekend wasn’t fueled by locals after all.
Police data shows the overwhelming majority of the hundreds of people arrested or cited during the holiday mayhem on the Balboa Peninsula came from outside the affluent beach city — with many traveling from other parts of California, Arizona and beyond.
Of the 353 people detained during the Independence Day disorder, just 10 were Newport Beach residents, according to police.
The remaining suspects came from elsewhere across California, Arizona and other states.
In all, police issued 316 misdemeanor citations and made 37 arrests as officers cracked down on the unruly crowds.
Those arrests included 25 juveniles, though police said the juvenile cases span a broader portion of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The biggest share of those detained came from California and neighboring Arizona.
A total of 161 people arrested or cited were California residents, while 145 came from Arizona.
Others traveled from Nevada, Utah, Texas, Florida and other states, with citations reaching as far away as Canada and the Netherlands.
Police did not release the specific crimes alleged against those arrested.
The chaos erupted near Newport Pier after a massive crowd of minors and young adults flooded the Balboa Peninsula.
Officials said the situation quickly turned dangerous, with people blocking roadways, restricting emergency vehicle access and throwing mortars, fireworks and other projectiles at officers.
At least one officer was reportedly injured.
Law enforcement agencies from around Orange County rushed in to assist roughly 350 Newport Beach police officers as the crowd grew and the situation spiraled out of control.
Video from the scene showed mounted officers moving through the beach as authorities cleared the shoreline and shut down the area from 22nd Street to 36th Street around 3 p.m. Saturday.
The disorder also spread into local businesses.
A Pavilions supermarket on West Balboa Boulevard was ransacked, while video showed groups of people being detained and transported away on Orange County Transportation Authority buses.
The Newport Beach Police Association blamed a social media-driven gathering it called an alleged “TikTok Takeover” for drawing the crowd.
The association president declined to provide additional details.
City Manager Seimone Jurjis said officials were still trying to determine exactly what attracted the massive crowd, including whether social media influencers or people looking to ignore the city’s “Not in Newport” campaign played a role.
Newport Beach Councilmember Erik Weigand said the newly released numbers backed up concerns that social media helped fuel the chaos.
“This data clearly backs up the TikTok narrative,” he told The Orange County Register.
“These kids were incited by social media, interested in coming to cause trouble or at least go crazy. I don’t think it was necessarily alcohol-fueled.”
Weigand said the number of minors and people between 18 and 22 years old stood out, saying the incident was unlike the typical alcohol-related problems the city has experienced during past Fourth of July celebrations.
He also focused on the number of Arizona residents involved, questioning why so many people traveled to Newport Beach.
“It used to be San Diego, that was the place a lot of Arizonans came to,” he said. “Now it’s Newport.”
Weigand said officials should examine whether short-term rentals are contributing to large gatherings, noting Newport Beach has more than 1,550 short-term rentals.
“If you’re coming from Arizona, you’re not here for a day trip,” he said. “Where are these kids staying? Are they staying at a cheaper location, or are their parents getting an Airbnb and just letting them run wild?”
He said the city should consider stronger controls for rentals during high-risk periods, including possible minimum stays.
The Newport Beach disturbance surpassed another Southern California social media-fueled gathering: Huntington Beach’s 2021 “Adrian’s Kickback” event, which resulted in nearly 180 arrests.
Police previously announced 402 arrests between midnight July 3 and 6 a.m. July 5 as officers continued responding to the fallout from the holiday weekend chaos.
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