47 Detained At Wayne 'Pop-Up' Party, All Will Get Charged: PD

WAYNE, NJ — Wayne isn't exactly known for its party scene, and many residents like it that way. But an illegal "pop-up" party at a vacant commercial property prompted a heavy police response in which they detained 47 people, according to authorities.

Pop-up parties have plagued Jersey Shore towns throughout the past month, beginning with a May 21 event in Long Branch that attracted more than 5,000 people. The party resulted in illegal consumption of alcohol and weed, multiple bloody fights, a car getting its windows smashed in and 16 arrests.

The Long Branch party prompted concerns from Shore towns about how to prevent these pop-up events that generally get promoted on social media and bring illegal activity. But this time, pop-up party organizers brought people away from the Shore and into a vacant commercial property in the Willowbrook area, according to Wayne police.

Photos of the scene show graffiti throughout, glass smashed and giant holes in at least one wall. Police only arrested one of the 47 people detained — Alejandro Perea Torres, 20, of East Orange, who was wanted for robbery, authorities said. Officers turned him over to the East Orange Police Department.

But law enforcement identified the rest before releasing them from the scene. The investigation continues, with charges pending against all involved. All will get charged with at least some form of trespassing, Wayne Police Det. Cpt. Dan Daly told Patch.

There may be additional charges for those deemed responsible for any damage or organizing the event, according to Daly. Police are investigating to identify all of the party's organizers.

State Police notified Wayne Police Chief Jack McNiff on Saturday afternoon of information related to the pop-up party advertised on social media. Five-hundred people were expected to show up late at night to the vacant property, according to online promotions from organizers.

Wayne police organized a response, which included help from the Fairfield and Little Falls Police Departments and the Passaic County Sheriff's Office. Detectives established physical surveillance of the building before the advertised start time and saw several people illegally enter through the doors that had previously been forced open, police said.

Det. Cpt. Joseph Rooney — Wayne PD's incident commander for the party — determined that the number of attendees illegally inside the building had become significant and ordered officers to move in before the crowd became too large to control, according to police.

Partygoers were there for about an hour before police moved in, Daly said.

The property manager has boarded up the building, and Wayne police will frequently check the area to prevent the incident from recurring.

"The Wayne Police Department wishes to thank all agencies involved in responding to this event and wants to make it clear that this type of destructive, illegal behavior will not be tolerated within Wayne Township," McNiff said.

It's been a long month of officials and law enforcement responding to pop-up parties throughout the state — some merely planned but canceled and some actually occurring. Police also responded to a similar event Saturday at Union Beach, dispersing dozens of attendees and issuing at least 15 summonses. Read more: 15 Summonses Issued At NJ Shore 'Pop Up' Party Saturday

The pop-up party in Long Branch — promoted on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram — cost an estimated $24,000 in police overtime alone.

The towns of Long Branch and Point Pleasant Beach both filed lawsuits against the people who promoted the parties on their social media accounts on TikTok and Instagram.

"I think it is safe to say that the Township will not tolerate this type of behavior in any form," Wayne Township Administrator Christopher J. Tietjen told Patch via email. "The Wayne Township Police Department will seek to criminally charge anyone in this incident or future incidents whenever possible. The Township Administration thanks the Chief, his command staff, and all the men and women of the Wayne Township Police Department and the other Agencies involved for their diligence and professionalism not only in this case but in all matters of public safety in serving and protecting our Township."