28 Arrested In Disturbances On Magnificent Mile Saturday Night

By Amy Cavanaugh in News on Mar 31, 2013 3:30PM

Between 7 and 7:40 p.m. last night, 28 people were arrested on the Magnificent Mile near North Michigan Avenue and East Erie Street for causing disturbances, including bumping into people on the sidewalk, blocking sidewalks, starting fights and attacking people on a CTA train. Of those arrested, 17 were charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct, and all but two of them are younger than 18.

In another incident, 11 teenagers were arrested at the State/Lake station at 6:35 p.m. after they assaulted two women on the train after one of the women asked one of the teenagers to put out a cigarette. The Tribune reported that the teenagers, 10 juveniles and one adult, told police they planned on Twitter to meet downtown and that some of them had not met before Saturday.

According to CBS Chicago, there were no reports of other assaults, robberies or property damage. The adults charged were 19-year-old Bobby Rhodes of the 1100 block of North Cambridge Avenue and 18-year-old Marquell Hicks of the 3200 block of West Diversey.

If this sounds familiar, it's because the summer of 2011 had numerous incidents that media at the time were erroneously calling "flash mobs," in which groups of teenagers were assaulting people and shoplifting from stores.

WGN has a video of the scene last night: