Skateboarders Steven Fernandez, Keelan Dadd draw big crowd in Downey
Thousands of teenage fans swarmed Stonewood Shopping Center in Downey on Saturday to see skateboarding stars Steven Fernandez and Keelan Dadd, causing authorities to cancel their event and temporarily shut down the mall.
Fernandez and Dadd were scheduled for a meet and greet at 1 p.m. at Zumiez, a clothing store in the shopping center. The line started forming outside the store’s doors hours before the skating duo’s appearance, with several hundred young fans crowding the mall, according to a statement from the Downey Police Department. As the event drew near, the crowd swelled to 2,000 people and the line stretched outside the mall.
Video footage of the event shows a mob of screaming teenage fans.
“The clothing store and event staff were overwhelmed with the large crowds,” a police statement said.
Police were called for crowd control. The event was canceled and the mall was shut down for more than an hour as authorities escorted fans off the property.
Fernandez, a 15-year-old skater from Compton, took to social media to express his frustration over the cancellation.
“Da event got shut down cuz it was over 3500 people here and da out side of da mall was so packed . . . cops and helicopters came and shut it down,” Fernandez wrote on his Instagram page. “I’m so sorry to all those who came out.”
There were no reports of injuries, arrests or significant property damage. The mall was reopened at 4:30 p.m.
For more California breaking news, follow AngelJennings. She can also be reached at angel.jennings@latimes.com.
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