SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Two teens were arrested after a big brawl forced Arden Fair Mall to close two hours early Friday evening.

Steve Reed, manager of mall security, says they’ve doubled the number of officers and security officers as a precaution after the incident, and they will keep the extra security until kids go back to school.

“There’s too many people out, there’s bound to be some trouble,” said shopper Kristina Currie.

The fight happened at the mall’s food court. When security officers tried to break-up the fight and remove the suspects, they say other fights broke out.

“I think they’re just people giving some sort of a look, or somebody looking at somebody’s girlfriend. It wasn’t gang related anything like that,” Reed said.

A similar incident happened two years ago to the date. Cameras captured the arrests of three teens accused of fighting in public.

Learning from that event, Reed says they decided to shut down the mall two hours early as a precautionary measure.

“In this situation, we could see things were starting to build up, so we were proactive. We decided get them outside and shut down the mall,” Reed said.

“[I’m] pretty happy they did that,” said shopper Fred Bach. “Pretty secure in the fact [they’re] moving as quickly as possible to get things under control.”

Security says they’re also beefing up patrols, with officers standing on every corner, coming down the escalator, doing a walk through the mall – keeping a close eye on who is doing what.

“We’ve got people monitoring the cameras and we’re being very proactive about groups building up inside, that type of thing,” Reed said.

And it’s noticed by many.

“I’ve seen it! We drove in and saw three cops when we were driving in, so definitely there’s more security. I felt secure driving through the parking lot today,” said shopper Kristina Currie.

Reed also says that after the incident two years ago, the mall has added more monitors to the mall so security officers can keep an eye on things.

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• 2 Teens Arrested After Fight That Closed Arden Fair Mall Early
• Police Hold Shoplifting Sting At Arden Fair Mall
• Sacramento Ferguson Protest At Arden Fair Mall Largely Peaceful, 5 Arrested
• Police Credit Arden Fair Mall Surveillance For Catching Suspicious Subject

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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It’s been nearly two months since a new ordinance went into effect to curb aggressive panhandling in Sacramento County. It prohibits panhandling near businesses, gas stations and ATMs to name a few locations.

It’s no secret that persistent panhandling is a problem in some parts of Sacramento.

“Sometimes I fear for my life, like what if I don’t give them change? Are they going to stab me?” said driver Bianca LaBeau.

The issue has plagued areas like one near Arden Fair mall where drivers encounter people holding signs and begging for money. Some don’t take no for an answer.

Thuy Tresner says aggressive panhandlers scare off her customers at her Elegant Designs Bridal Shop off of Arden Way.

“Some are really nice, you know. You ask them nicely and they leave. And some, they yell at you back,” she said. “Customers come in and see bums in front of your shop, they hesitate to come in and do any kind of business with you.”

This year, Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies have started to crack down on chronic panhandlers.

“We can go out and deal with that directly by trespassing the individual off the property, or if they need to be arrested, we can take them to jail,” said Deputy Tom Mantei.

A new ordinance took effect in January that prohibits panhandling in the medians of roadways as well as near public transportation, ATMs, intersections, gas stations, or at entrances of shopping centers or businesses.

Is it working so far? Mantei says it s.

“We usually give them a warning that this particular property is off-limits and they’ll stay away,” he said.

And Tresner says she’s noticed the improvement, too.

“Thank you so much for doing that. I appreciate it, speaking for all the owners around here in this area,” she said.

Under the ordinance, a panhandler’s first violation could equal a fine. A second violation in a six-month period could mean misdemeanor charges and even jail time.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A hotel deemed a nuisance by the city of Sacramento has closed as part of a settlement, the city announced on Friday.

The owner of the Sacramento Inn and Suites, formerly known as the Clarion Inn settled a public nuisance lawsuit against the city involving the property neighboring Arden Fair mall.

The hotel next to the southeastern corner of the mall had drawn criticism and complaints for neighbors involving robbery, prostitution and human trafficking. The city says in addition to the drug use and sale on the property, there were also egregious fire and building code violations.

In May of 2014, there were 167 calls for police services at the property.

As part of the settlement, the hotel’s owner agreed to cease operations and paid delinquent taxes.

Download free movie passes to the advance screening of Entourage!

The much-anticipated big-screen version of the award-winning hit HBO series, reunites the show’s original cast, led by Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven.

Vincent Chase (Grenier), together with his boys, Eric (Connolly), Turtle (Ferrara) and Johnny (Dillon), are back and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Piven). Some of their ambitions have changed, but the bond between them remains strong as they navigate the capricious and often cutthroat world of Hollywood!

Click the link below and enter the promo code to download passes to the advance screening in Sacramento on Wednesday, May 27th at 7:30 pm at UA Arden Fair 6 at the Arden Fair Mall  (1739 Arden Way) in Sacramento CA. Download while supplies!

Link: www.wbtickets.com
Code: ENTO1140

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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Another dog was pulled out of a parked vehicle at Arden Fair Mall on Wednesday afternoon after security said it got to well over 100 degrees inside.

“It was going up between 109 and 124,” Animal Control Officer Julian Reynaga said of the reading inside the man’s Honda Pilot SUV.

A dog is walked out of the Arden Fair Mall by its owner after being pulled out of the man’s hot vehicle on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. (credit: CBS13)

Arden Fair security cameras show the dog was inside the vehicle for an hour and a half.

The dog owner returned to his car and found the dog wasn’t there. Mall security removed the dog after getting a complaint from a customer and heat gun readings that showed temperatures inside topped a 110.

“It was not 110 degrees in the car,” the owner said when he returned.

“Sir, I have a (temperature) gun and shot it inside. It was 110 on three separate occasions” Reynaga responded.

The windows were down and there was food and water, but mall security said the dog was feeling the effects of the 90-plus degree heat outside.

“He was panting heavily, very uncomfortable, having trouble getting his breath,” said Steve Reed, the mall’s security manager.

The owner, who was fined $200 and returned his dog, didn’t think he did anything wrong, and Animal Control says there’s a common misconception that leaving the windows down is enough.

“Leaving the windows down is not going to make a difference since the dog’s in the direct sunlight,” Reynaga said. “It’s pretty dangerous on these type of days.”

With five of these cases so far this year mall security says, the message is pretty simple.

“I would tell them not to bring their best friend,” Reed said.

CARMICHAEL (CBS13) – Prominent Sacramento businessman Morton Friedman died Wednesday after battling a brain disease. The well-known lawyer and philanthropist was 80 years old.

Morton Friedman (courtesy photo)

Friedman represented plaintiffs in the 1972 Farrell’s disaster when a plane crashed into the ice cream parlor, killing 22.

He’s also well known for redeveloping Arden Fair Mall and bringing the first Nordstrom store to Sacramento.

“For more than five decades Mort was a giant in Sacramento, a man whose contributions to our community forever changed its landscape and its spirit,” Congressman Doris Matsui said in a statement. “He was also a devoted husband to his wife Marcy, a dedicated father to his three sons, and a fierce friend to all of us who were lucky enough to carry that title.”

Matsui noted Friedman’s contributions to the Crocker Art Museum, the UC Davis MIND Institute, the Sacramento Symphony and other local organizations and and his steadfast support for Sacramento’s Institute for Advancing Unity made Sacramento “a better place to live.”

Friedman, who earned business and law degrees from Stanford, is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marcy, and three sons. He and his wife made their home in Carmichael. They moved to the area in 1957.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the Friedman-Lichter Sanctuary at Mosaic Law Congregation, 2300 Sierra Boulevard, Sacramento.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the following organizations:

• The Shalom School, 2320 Sierra Boulevard; Sacramento, CA 95825
• The Mosaic Law Congregation, 2300 Sierra Boulevard; Sacramento, CA 95825
• The Crocker Art Museum, 216 O Street; Sacramento, CA 95814

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – It was a major scare inside Arden Fair Mall as people were in a panic, and customers were caught in a chaotic situation, fearing the worst after reports of a gunman in the mall Wednesday.

“It was like really scary, especially with all the events that are happening in the past,” shopper Kendall Elin said.

Luckily there was no shooting, but the scene can only be described as chaotic.

“Everybody was just running past us. We didn’t know what was going on, so we ran out the door,” Elin said.

There was panic as thousands tied to make sense of the chaos by the food court. Within moments, the after-Christmas shopping rush turned into an all out stampede for safety.

“Everybody was running,” witness Tre Duncan said. “You could feel the vibration in the store.”

“They closed a gate. All the workers, they were like ‘close the gate, close the gate,’ cause everybody was running to different stores,” shopper Julie Campos said.

The mall mayhem started just before 5 p.m. Wednesday.

“There was a group of juveniles going through the mall, pushing people around and knocking over signs,” Officer Doug Morse said.

The sounds of signs hitting the floor were confused for gunfire, which caused almost instant panic and sent shoppers scrambling.

“One person in the store said that someone shot a gun,” said one witness.

Stores inside the mall followed security measures and locked down.

“Over the loud speaker, they just start screaming ‘get out the mall, get out the mall,’ ” said David Smith.

Police reviewed surveillance video, and saw there were no shots fired, but investigators say the commotion was criminal.

Dremon O’Deal (l), Louis Santiago (r) (credit: Sacramento Police)

Three people, two adults and one juvenile, were arrested and booked for fighting in public. The two adults have been identified as 19-year-old Dremon O’Deal and 18-year-old Louis Santiago. They face charges of fighting in a public place. The third suspect, a 15-year-old male, also faces the same charge.

Arden Fair Mall’s security chief says his team had an eye on the suspects, and decided to kick them out just before the chaos went down.

“It’s situations like this with the high volume of people that we do train for,” Morse said.

Mall officials say their security team trains each year with police for an active shooter situation, and works with Homeland Security on how to use surveillance to spot problems before they start.

However, with the recent mall shooting in Portland, and the Connecticut elementary school tragedy, it’s clear everyone was on high alert.

“My son said ‘mom you got really scared.’ You take that seriously because you just never know when there is going to be a shooting, you just don’t know,” shopper Patrice Thomason-Bell said.

Stores can have employees take a class about what to do in an active shooter situation. There is also an alert system at the mall. If the message goes out, all businesses must close. It’s unclear if that alert went out, but it appears that many of the stores did shut down.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It’s a holiday weekend, which means the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security have issued a bulletin of warning of a possible attack. This time it’s ISIS-inspired attacks they’re worried about over the Fourth of July weekend.

At Arden Fair Mall, Tom Sweeney says his security staff will keep an extra close watch over the weekend.

“Specifically for the Fourth of July, we’re a little more vigilant maybe. but the steps are 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” he said.

The warning comes after deadly attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France.

Sacramento resident James Bailey says his family will avoid big fireworks shows.

“I’m not going to be out with a whole bunch of people,” he said. “Nah, I am kind of worried about it.”

Many others like Jevonti Williams say they’re doubtful terrorists would strike in Sacramento.

“Not in Sacramento,” he said. “Like, I can get the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but there’s nothing that big for them to come out here and mess things up.”

A Sacramento Police spokesman says the department isn’t doing anything overt because there’s been no specific threat, but it’s always vigilant.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – From the long lines to get into the Arden Fair Mall to the chaotic and tired crowds inside, it’s clearly Christmas crunch time.

But on this “Super Saturday” before Christmas, Brian and Megan Stewart were making shopping part of the celebration.

It’s their first Christmas as newlyweds.

“First one married, second Christmas together,” Megan said.

They were on the hunt for last minute deals.

“We got our first apartment together the end of November, so we about doubled our bills before Christmas. So it’s been a lot tighter,” Megan said.

They’re in luck. The National Retail Federation says as much as 40% of the season’s sales happen in the 10 days before Christmas.

For the Sports Fever shop, a rough year for local teams has made it a tougher year for profits.

“We thrive off of local teams doing well, and when local teams don’t do well we just don’t do well in sales,” a Sports Fever worker said.

Last year, “Super Saturday” beat Black Friday as the busiest shopping day of the year.

And despite wet weather on the way, recent surveys show some 17 percent of shoppers still haven’t started holiday shopping yet.

All the more reason to get crafty and go homemade.

“We’re making it work. A lot of thriftiness and I bake so,” Brian said.

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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The ACLU is criticizing Arden Fair Mall’s decision to ban teens who didn’t have adults with them on the day after Christmas.

The mall issued the ban in order to prevent fights from breaking out, according to a statement from the mall.

But an ACLU attorney claims the mall violated teens’ civil rights by banning those not accompanied by adults from shopping at the mall.

ALSO READ: Arden Fair Mall Store Employees Accused Of Stealing Thousands From Registers

CBS13 spoke to Constitutional attorney Jeffrey Kravitz.

“Technically [a mall] is absolutely a private place,” said constitutional attorney Jeffrey Kravitz. “It is owned by a private corporation.”

However, Kravitz says, in California, the courts have ruled malls can be viewed as public places.

“In California, because of a case that’s called Pruneyard — that happened to be the name of the mall — you do have free speech rights in malls, which are similar, but not exactly as those that exist in public streets,” Kravitz said.

Kravitz says no lawsuits have been filed by the teens.

ALSO READ: Roseville Man Accused Of Recording Woman In Arden Fair Mall Dressing Room

“Because what are the damages to the person?” Kravitz said. “I couldn’t go to the mall that day?”

A dozen brawls broke out at malls across the country on December 26th. Police say the disturbances may be loosely organized on social media.

This season, Arden Fair Mall changed its policy to ban unaccompanied teenagers from the day to prevent fights, kicking them out for the day.

“It’s a fascinating issue,” Kravitz said.

Now there’s a legal debate to determine the constitutionality of action.

The mall hasn’t indicated when they might put this policy into effect again. Kravitz says there are some laws that ban adults from playgrounds unless they are accompanied by children. He says both issues may eventually wind up in California courts.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Today is “Giving Tuesday,” a relatively new movement that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday as a way to move past the mass consumerism of post-Thanksgiving shopping.

To get in the spirit of giving, the Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento has partnered with Arden Fair Mall to collect donations for children-in-crisis at the “angel station.”

To take part, you can stop by where you can “shop” from a child’s wish list.

The “angel station” is open through Dec. 23 from 8:00 a.m. Until 7:00 p.m. daily.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Saturday was expected to be the busiest holiday travel day of the season according to Trip Advisor with 39 percent of travelers choosing to fly.

The crowds come and go in waves here at Sac International. As for the flight experience, that depends on who you ask.

“It wasn’t as packed as I thought it would be. I thought it would be crazy, but it wasn’t too bad” said Jennifer Friedrich, who flew in from Texas.

“My 7 a.m. flight from Oklahoma City was delayed to 1 p.m so, I’ve been up since 5 a.m. which is 3 a.m. local time. So this (smile) is very fake right now, I’m ready to pass out” said traveler, Katelyn Crandell.

It was shoulder-to-shoulder at the Arden Fair Mall with people scrambling to find last-minute gifts.

According to the National Retail Federation a whopping 53 percent of consumers, around 126 million people, were expected to be out shopping on what was dubbed Super Saturday.

Air travel is up two percent overall this year, but the roads were packed as well. Trip Advisor says 56 percent of people are driving to their Christmas destination.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – It was a major scare inside Arden Fair Mall as people were in a panic, and customers were caught in a chaotic situation, fearing the worst after reports of a gunman in the mall Wednesday.

“It was like really scary, especially with all the events that are happening in the past,” shopper Kendall Elin said.

Luckily there was no shooting, but the scene can only be described as chaotic.

“Everybody was just running past us. We didn’t know what was going on, so we ran out the door,” Elin said.

There was panic as thousands tied to make sense of the chaos by the food court. Within moments, the after-Christmas shopping rush turned into an all out stampede for safety.

“Everybody was running,” witness Tre Duncan said. “You could feel the vibration in the store.”

“They closed a gate. All the workers, they were like ‘close the gate, close the gate,’ cause everybody was running to different stores,” shopper Julie Campos said.

The mall mayhem started just before 5 p.m. Wednesday.

“There was a group of juveniles going through the mall, pushing people around and knocking over signs,” Officer Doug Morse said.

The sounds of signs hitting the floor were confused for gunfire, which caused almost instant panic and sent shoppers scrambling.

“One person in the store said that someone shot a gun,” said one witness.

Stores inside the mall followed security measures and locked down.

“Over the loud speaker, they just start screaming ‘get out the mall, get out the mall,’ ” said David Smith.

Police reviewed surveillance video, and saw there were no shots fired, but investigators say the commotion was criminal.

Dremon O’Deal (l), Louis Santiago (r) (credit: Sacramento Police)

Three people, two adults and one juvenile, were arrested and booked for fighting in public. The two adults have been identified as 19-year-old Dremon O’Deal and 18-year-old Louis Santiago. They face charges of fighting in a public place. The third suspect, a 15-year-old male, also faces the same charge.

Arden Fair Mall’s security chief says his team had an eye on the suspects, and decided to kick them out just before the chaos went down.

“It’s situations like this with the high volume of people that we do train for,” Morse said.

Mall officials say their security team trains each year with police for an active shooter situation, and works with Homeland Security on how to use surveillance to spot problems before they start.

However, with the recent mall shooting in Portland, and the Connecticut elementary school tragedy, it’s clear everyone was on high alert.

“My son said ‘mom you got really scared.’ You take that seriously because you just never know when there is going to be a shooting, you just don’t know,” shopper Patrice Thomason-Bell said.

Stores can have employees take a class about what to do in an active shooter situation. There is also an alert system at the mall. If the message goes out, all businesses must close. It’s unclear if that alert went out, but it appears that many of the stores did shut down.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Now hiring! A new upscale restaurant is moving into the Arden Fair Mall, and people are flocking to get one of the new jobs.

Even though the busy holiday hiring season is over, the swanky chain restaurant Seasons 52, which opens for business later this month, is looking to fill over 100 jobs with benefits, and thousands of applicants are hoping to snag one of them.

Seasons 52 isn’t open yet, but it’s already seeing plenty of people come through its doors. It’s the chain’s first Northern California location.

Thousands are hungry for a job at the restaurant.

The director of operations says they’ve received over 3,000 applications since they started their online hiring process 10 days ago. But only about 100 will land a spot cooking, serving, bartending or hosting.

The positions do come with medical and dental care, and 401(k) plans. The hiring team says people from all backgrounds and skill levels have applied.

“I’m looking for a second job. I am trying to put myself through nursing school,” applicant Michelle Estrada said. “I already work at BJ’s over there, so I thought it would be an easy shift over here.”

“People are looking for good, steady jobs. We’re hoping to provide them with that experience. Hopefully, it’ll be the last job they have to look for,” Director of Operations Rikin Lakhani said.

Construction crews are still putting the finishing touches on the restaurant, which opens Jan. 28.

Seasons 52 serves American contemporary food.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A fire broke out late Wednesday afternoon at Arden Fair Mall near the Sears store.

Sacramento Fire Department is investigating it as a possible arson.

According to reports, the fire burned along the exterior of the building.

Crews were able to extinguish the fire in the shrubs and a tree next to the wall. Flames did not get into the building.

No evacuations were required and Sears stayed open.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — As much of the Sacramento region deals with a housing crisis, a proposal would add more than 700 housing units near Arden Fair mall.

The three-story apartments named Arden Gateway would feature 734 units in 21 buildings, along with pools, clubhouses and other amenities.

It would be built on a now-vacant 24-acre property that was once home to the Sacramento Inn and movie theater. It was once one of Sacramento’s high-end hotels, but it became run down and it was demolished after the city declared it a public nuisance.

The building was once a magnet for homelessness, illegal dumping and prostitution. And Silvia Alvarenga with Imperial Homes and Investments says that hasn’t changed.

“It’s not good for our business, people don’t want to drive by,” Alvarenga said.

The proposal would bring much-needed housing inventory to Sacramento. Rent rates have gone up steadily as supply hasn’t met demand and people move from the Bay Area to escape sky-high prices.

The apartments would sit just inside the city limits of Sacramento, on the western side of Arden Fair mall next to Business 80.

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Brookstone, the ubiquitous seller of cool but largely unneeded things, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection again and will close the 101 of its stores that are located in malls.

Malls have suffered for years due to far-reaching shifts in the way that Americans shop for just about everything, which has diminished foot traffic at Brookstone. On Thursday, CEO Piau Phang Foo called the situation in malls “extremely challenging,” and thanked employees who had staffed stores in those locations.

Brookstone will focus solely on its airport locations and online sales.

“The decision to close our mall stores was difficult, but ultimately provides an opportunity to maintain our well-respected brand and award-winning products while operating with a smaller physical footprint,” Foo said in a prepared statement.

The company has 35 stores in airports, which, along with its online and wholesale business, will be attractive to any potential buyer, Foo said.

According to a bankruptcy filing Thursday, Brookstone has assets of $50 million to $100 million, and liabilities of $100 million to $500 million.

Brookstone first filed for bankruptcy protection in 2014. The Merrimack, New Hampshire, company was sold at auction in June of that year before emerging from bankruptcy protection.

Brookstone Inc. was founded in 1965 when Pierre de Beaumont put an ad in Popular Mechanics Magazine offering hard-to-find tools and other devices, according to the company’s website. Its first store opened in 1973.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A Sacramento shopper says she found dirty needles inside one of her purchases from an Arden Fair mall store.

The young woman says she bought a pair of socks from Zumiez on Tuesday, but it wasn’t until she got home that she realized she got more than she bargained for.

RELATED: New Apartments Planned Near Arden Fair Mall

“This is extremely serious,” said the woman, who didn’t want her face on camera.

It was a shocking find for the back-to-school shopper.

“It was just mind-boggling,” said the young woman. “It’s so crazy to me because I didn’t feel it and neither did the cashier.”

READ MORE: Charges: Roofer Killed Co-Worker With Circular Saw After Teasing Over Sex Fatigue

The woman says when she got home with her purchase and opened them up, she found two needles stuffed inside.

“Either this was intentional or this was kind of a last-minute, trying to get something off their hands.”

What’s worse she says, is the needles had been used.

“There was like dry blood in one, both of the needles were bent out.”

It’s a warning for shoppers who say they’ll now better check their purchases.

“I would be more careful when I buy stuff,” said Alonna Chapman.

Another shopper said, “I’m concerned like just about getting a disease or something.”

After finding the needles, the woman says she contacted mall security, filed a police report and went back to the store eventually speaking with Zumiez corporate officials, who she says were apologetic.

“I’m not upset with anyone here,” she says, “Like they offered me discounts and I was like I don’t want your discounts I just want everyone to know that this is like a real thing going on.”

Dirty needles allegedly found stuffed inside a pair of socks at the Arden Faire Mall. The shopper says she’s spreading the word before anyone gets hurt.

“Someone else could have not been as lucky as me. They could have gotten pricked with it, gotten infected.”

Mall officials say they’ve never heard of anything like this happening before, but say the safety of the shoppers is a priority and they are looking into it. Sacramento police did confirm a report was filed, but say because this is not a trend they’re seeing, they are not investigating at this time.

CBS13 also reached out to Zumiez corporate officials but did not hear back.