3 arrested on charges related to unruly Glendale immigration protest

PHOENIX — Three suspects, including two minors, have been arrested on charges related to a Glendale immigration protest that turned unruly and destructive, authorities announced Wednesday.

A 20-year-old man was arrested on a litany of charges, including endangerment, disorderly conduct and reckless driving stemming from the protest on Feb. 2, according to the Glendale Police Department.

Two 16-year-old boys were also arrested and charged with vehicle theft, burglary and rioting, police said.

None of the suspects’ identities were released. Officers arrested them after finding their social media accounts, according to police.

What are Glendale suspects accused of doing?

The suspects arrested were accused of participating in the demonstration near 67th Avenue and Camelback Road that saw multiple cars, including patrol vehicles, damaged and a storage container burned.

One of the 16-year-olds got behind the wheel of one of the police cars and drove it a short distance before running off, according to police.

Both teens were involved in damaging five patrol vehicles, police added. Broken windows, slashed tires, and body/hood dents were among the damages to the vehicles.

It wasn’t just police property that was targeted. Multiple civilian vehicles and area businesses were damaged, and a large storage container behind one business complex was set on fire, police said.

Video shows the 20-year-old suspect doing donuts in his car at an intersection as the protest unraveled.

Why did Glendale immigration protest turn unruly?

The crowd was orderly, remaining on the sidewalks, for the first few hours.

However, things took a turn as the protest grew, with upwards of 1,000 people in attendance.

Demonstrators took over the intersection by 7:30 p.m., lighting off fireworks and behaving unruly, police said.

After issuing a traffic advisory to avoid the area, police closed the intersection to vehicles in all directions by 8 p.m.

The crowd grew more defiant over the course of the night, with some attendees throwing large rocks, chunks of concrete and glass bottles at officers.

Many employees at nearby businesses sheltered in place as the unrest spread, police said.

Around 10:15 p.m., authorities deployed chemical agents “to disperse the unlawful assembly,” the Glendale Police Department said in a Monday morning press release.

The intersection was cleared out within 20 minutes of the chemical agent use.

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