5 juveniles arrested during melee in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Police arrested five juveniles this week after a large disturbance in the Wellington Heights neighborhood.

Officers were called to Washington Avenue and 18th Street SE at about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday on a large melee that stemmed from an incident of harassment, public safety spokesperson Greg Buelow said.

They found 10 to 12 boys and girls loudly arguing and threatening to fight - 'a lot of yelling and profanity,” Buelow said.

Officers asked the group to disperse several times, Buelow said, but several of the juveniles continued to yell and 'create a disturbance.”

The incident apparently started with an older man sitting on his front porch confronted the group.

The teens were creating a lot of noise near the man's house, and he asked them to move. Instead of leaving, the juveniles began harassing the man - yelling at and threatening him, Buelow said.

Buelow said it's possible the group also was fighting earlier in the day near Greene Square.

Those arrested were a 12-year-old and a 17-year-old boy on a charge of disorderly conduct; two 13-year-old boys on charges of interference of official acts, one with injury, and disorderly conduct; and a 14-year-old boy on charges of second-degree harassment and disorderly conduct.

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