Two juveniles arrested during riot at Montco youth detention center dining hall

Two juveniles were arrested during a lunchtime riot that broke out at a Montgomery County youth detention center this afternoon, Lower Providence Township Police said.

Officers were called to the dining hall of the Archdiocesan-owned Saint Gabriel’s Hall in Audubon shortly before 11:45 a.m. They found that a large number of court-committed students were swarming around the disturbance, which could not be wrested under control by the facility’s staff members. Initial reports indicated that as many as 180 youth were involved.

Police requested assistance from departments in five other townships. The incident was brought under control about ten minutes later and the scene was cleared by 12:30 p.m.

Officers arrested two underage boys for their roles in the disturbance and took them to the township police department for processing. One of the juveniles faces charges of assaulting two Saint Gabriel’s staff members, while the other is charged with disorderly conduct. No serious injuries were reported.

Saint Gabriel’s Hall is a residential detention center run by the Christian Brothers and is open to underage males between the ages of 10 to 18 who are remanded by the Philadelphia court system.