CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — The Cheektowaga Police Department has revealed new information about the large police presence that was seen at Walden Galleria on Saturday night.
Police responded to a call for assistance from the mall's security department because of 30 underage kids in the food court. Police said they succeeded in dispersing the kids out of the food court shortly after arriving.
About 35 minutes later, at 7:01 p.m., police received a report of a fight and about 100 kids running around the mall. Three juvenile females were arrested for inciting a riot, which is a Class A Misdemeanor. One was also charged with resisting arrest.
The Police Department said two more calls for fights were reported at the mall at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Both fights had no victims and were broken up when officers arrived on the scene, according to the Police Department.
Pyramid Management Group, the owners of the Walden Galleria, released the following statement regarding the incident in the mall on Saturday:
The safety of our guests and tenants will always be a top priority at Walden Galleria. The type of isolated incident that recently took place was absolutely unacceptable. Such misbehavior will not be tolerated. It’s incredibly unfortunate when individuals or small groups disrupt the experience for the 99.9% of our visitors who behave wonderfully. While these incidents undermine the tireless efforts by our security team, community partners and local law enforcement agencies that make Walden Galleria a year-round family-friendly destination, they only strengthen our resolve to remain vigilant and committed to providing a safe environment for everyone. Make no mistake, we will be pursuing all avenues to hold accountable individuals who cannot behave appropriately.
Regarding masks and social distancing, in accordance with and under mandate from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and New York State, everyone who enters a Pyramid property is required to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Guests who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, those who cannot put on or remove a mask themselves and small children, are exempt from wearing a mask.
Our security team is actively reminding a small number of guests to wear a mask and handing out masks to anyone that does not have one. We ask that all guests comply with the mandate and maintain social distancing, as it truly is best for everyone. We have additional signage as guests enter our centers to remind everyone to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
For any individuals that refuse to wear a mask and are not exempt, they will be informed that they are in violation of the State mandate and be directed to leave the property immediately.
