PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — No juveniles have yet been arrested after a Wawa in Mayfair was ransacked by about 100 juveniles Saturday night, during what some police leaders say could be considered a riot.
Police officials are investigating, and are now asking the parents of those children — some possibly as young as 10 years old — for help.
Around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, police said dozens of teens left a nearby roller skating rink and into the Wawa located at 7001 Roosevelt Blvd., near Tyson Avenue. They were caught on camera screaming, throwing snacks across the store, and breaking other items. In total, police said they caused at least $10,000 worth of damage.
Officers arrived and dispersed the crowd. No one was injured.
Video of the incident was shared on social media.
"To all the people that were in the store, you know who you are,” said Police Capt. John Ryan. “Everything in that store was on video.”
Officers are working with Wawa and local schools to identify the juveniles. They said they have resources for parents.
"Can't always fall on police or other organizations. Some of that falls on the parents. You have to raise your children properly,” said Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner John Stanford.
“I know there will be several parents that will look at this and say, ‘That's not how I raised my kids.’ And that's understandable. But also there's a responsibility to then identify your kids to us.”
Stanford said the incident could be considered a riot, which is a felony charge.
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"We have to have a balance here, and we understand that juveniles need some place to go and enjoy themselves,” said Stanford. “But there's also a responsibility to not destroy a neighboring business when you decide to leave that roller skating rink, or any establishment across the city."
He says if you notice any big group gathering, it's okay to call police, so they can just be on scene.
"Sometimes we have been able to prevent some things from happening by just being present, in terms of when we know about large gatherings and things of that nature,” said Stanford.
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Police said the same Wawa at 7001 Roosevelt Blvd. was robbed at gunpoint earlier this month.
A man first robbed a Wawa on Castor Avenue on Sept. 8, then hit the Wawa on Roosevelt Boulevard on Sept. 11.
"Right now, we are working with the police, including providing our own in-store surveillance videos, to address this disheartening incident and to hold these individuals accountable," a Wawa statement said Monday.
"Nothing is more important to us than being a welcoming, safe place for our customers, communities and associates. As always, we are committed to working with law enforcement to support their efforts to bring perpetrators of any crimes to justice and to prevent future incidents."