An investigation is underway after a rowdy group of teenagers damaged property in Westampton Township, New Jersey, police said. NBC10’s Brian Sheehan spoke with a woman who said her cars were damaged during the incident.
An investigation is underway after a rowdy group of teenagers damaged property – including vehicles -- near a recreation center in Westampton Township, New Jersey, police said.
The incident unfolded on Friday, April 4, around 10 p.m. near the Westampton Recreation Center. Tatiana Iglesia told NBC10 a group of teens formed outside her home along Westwind Way. She said the crowd dispersed after she and her husband called 911.
“Westampton Police did respond and they did, kind of, clear out the street,” Iglesia said. “There was a vehicle patrol that sat at the stop sign in front of my house. They stayed there, I want to say, maybe ten minutes.”
After police left, the teens returned later that night, according to Iglesia. She told NBC10 her home security camera captured the moment several teenagers jumped on two of her vehicles and began damaging the roofs, hoods and mirrors.
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“They were just destroyed. I mean, it was really heartbreaking because we really worked really hard to get our cars,” Iglesia said. “While I was doing dishes, my husband just came running to me. All our cameras were going off in our house. He’s like, ‘Call the cops right now. They’re on top of all the cars outside.’”
Iglesia said the situation was especially scary because her children were inside their home.
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“I couldn’t open the front door to my house. I have kids upstairs sleeping,” she said. “I don’t even know if they have a gun or not. So, our safest spot was to stay inside and just kind of backtrack from any windows in front of the house.”
Westampton Township Police said the group of teens initially gathered at the Westampton Recreation Center that night.
“The incident is still under investigation and we are taking steps to prevent this from happening in the future,” Westampton Township Police wrote in a statement.
NBC10 reached out to Westampton Township officials to find out why the teens were gathered at the rec center on Friday in the first place. We have not yet heard back. Iglesia, meanwhile, wants the people who damaged her vehicles to be held accountable.
“When you see them on TV, it’s definitely scary to know that this is even going on in the world we live in today,” she said. “But when it happens in front of your home, it’s like a shocker.”
The incident was just the latest of multiple disturbances in South Jersey involving young people. About a dozen teens were arrested in June 2024 after a massive brawl at the annual Gloucester Township Day event in Camden County. There were also several fights at the Jersey Shore last summer – including Wildwood – which prompted officials to declare a temporary state of emergency. Just last week, Wildwood Police said it would aggressively enforce the city’s 10 p.m. curfew and increase the presence of their officers on the boardwalk over the summer.
