WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Business owners at The Grove in Wesley Chapel say they are frustrated after having to close early Monday night over a feared teenage takeover event advertised on social media.
The Pasco County Sheriff's Office (PSO) said deputies are aware of possible incidents involving “teen takeovers” in the Wesley Chapel area on Monday night.
WATCH: Wesley Chapel businesses close early over feared 'teen takeover' at The Grove
PSO said additional deputies were in the area of the KRATE at the Grove outdoor shopping center on June 1 as a precautionary measure to maintain public safety.
PSO told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez on June 2, "We want to ensure the citizens of Pasco County that PSO has zero tolerance for those who would do harm in our community, and we will hold all individuals accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
A flyer circulating online advertised a "takeover at The Grove," prompting Grove management to ask all tenants to vacate the property by 9 p.m.
Joe Schembri, owner of Ice Dreammm Shop, said the early closure cost him business. He posted about the situation on Facebook, alerting customers to the early closure.
"Now when you say takeover, that just to me has a negative connotation," Schembri said. "It's frustrating that a group of kids can't get together and hang out without turning to violence."
"They're more than welcome to hang out. Like just go hang out, go have fun. Don't turn into violence," Schembri said.
Schembri said he struggled with the decision to turn customers away.
"I absolutely hate turning people away. I'm here - people want ice cream. I want to give them ice cream, and ice cream makes people happy. It's sad that we had to close and we had to turn them away, but, I felt it was best for the team," Schembri said.
Erika Maldonado, co-owner of La Creación Express, also expressed frustration over the situation.
"It's not okay that we have to shut down our business because of some safety concerns," Maldonado said.
Dozens of deputies were at The Krate Monday night, proactively working to prevent any potential gathering from forming.
Isaac Chaney, property manager at The Grove at Wesley Chapel, said he worked through the night to keep tenants safe.
"It was actually a quiet night last night, but in my vision that was a success, a quiet night," Chaney said.
Mark Gold, developer of KRATE and The Grove at Wesley Chapel said in a statement extra law enforcement will be at the KRATE to protect businesses.
In the afternoon hours of Monday, June 1, we were made aware of social media postings identifying KRATE as the site of the next "takeover" that night. My team immediately sprang into action to activate a plan to ensure our tenants and their businesses were protected.
The Pasco County Sheriff's Office assigned a large force to assist us. Despite this, we went ahead and hired dozens of off-duty sheriff's deputies to join this battle against what has become a dangerous trend on social media. The tremendous show of law enforcement throughout our property that night was unlike anything Pasco County has ever seen.
I want to thank Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, who will not allow these large groups to come into our county and destroy the livelihoods of hard-working people. KRATE was built to be a place where families and our community can come together to enjoy great food, entertainment, and each other. We will not allow a small group of bad actors — emboldened by social media — to threaten that vision. We will continue to invest in the safety and security of this property and stand firmly behind every tenant and family who chooses to spend their time with us. I am proud to be a part of Pasco County and proud of the men and women who protect us.
PSO said deputies have not seen any significant incidents related to “teen takeovers,” but they will continue to monitor all active scenes as necessary.
Kelly Remington, a Wesley Chapel resident, said she was relieved by the law enforcement presence.
"It's kind of scary that it was actually going to happen in such a nice quiet, populated affluent areas, so that's concerning, but the fact that all the police were here, and made it not happen is great," Remington said.
PSO said some teens were turned away from the area. No arrests were reported, according to officials.
Deputies said no businesses were ordered to close by PSO.
Share Your Story with Annette
If you live in Wesley Chapel or the surrounding area, Annette Gutierrez is here for you. She’s focused on finding solutions and getting results for our neighbors, so send Annette tips on how she can help.
.
Lutz residents fight private school rezoning at county hearing
More than 30 residents showed up to Hillsborough County's Land Use Hearing to reject a rezoning proposal that would bring a 1,000-student private school to Lutz.
