Salon owner reacts to Naperville ‘teen takeover’: ‘It looked like the apocalypse’
A local business owner is raising concerns about safety after a group of teenagers rioted in Naperville on March 30, prompting arrests, property damage and a heavy police response.
Angela Morter, a 20-plus year resident of Naperville, said business owners were not alerted in advance despite reports that authorities had warned parents.
“[Police] knew about it ahead of time and said they were telling parents not to let teens out. But they didn’t tell business owners this was being planned,” Morter told DuPage Policy Journal. “My friend was there with her daughter, an eight-year-old, and she had to run out of Naperville because she didn't even know about this. And (police) knew about it ahead of time. They already stated that. They literally said, 'we were talking to parents not to let your teens out.' So you didn't tell business owners that this was being planned?”
Video circulating online shows large crowds of teenagers moving through downtown streets, climbing on cars and causing damage, including cracked windshields and dented hoods.
A rioter jumps from a car during the March 30 Naperville “teen takeover,” as hundreds
of teens flooded downtown, damaging vehicles and prompting a heavy police response.
(x / @pisklauren)
According to ABC Chicago, police arrested four juveniles for battery, while others received citations for trespassing and ordinance violations during the riot, which drew about 300 teens and young adults.
Other footage shows a heavy police response, with officers on foot and bicycles attempting to manage the crowds.
Morter, who has owned and operated Wonderfully Rooted Salon & Spa for three years, said she witnessed the chaos firsthand while teaching at a nearby salon.
“I heard what sounded like a thunderstorm right above me,” Mortar said. “It sounded very loud. It was huge, and then the building shook, and it did it again. I was like, what is going on? It looked like the apocalypse, with smoke coming up from downtown Naperville. There were cops on every street.”
Morter said she left shortly after, describing a chaotic scene as she tried to exit while emergency vehicles filled the streets.
“There were ambulances and fire trucks,” she said. “There were lights absolutely everywhere. They were trying to block me, and I was on the outside where you can look over downtown. They were coming up towards us. I said ‘no, I’m out of here.’ They were trying to keep us from leaving.”
Hundreds of teens stream across downtown Naperville during the March 30 “teen takeover,” overwhelming streets and prompting arrests, citations, and a large police response. (x / @pisklauren)
She said information about the incidents was difficult to find online in real time and afterward.
“I’m looking on Facebook, nothing there, looking all over, asking, and then before I can even ask, it was automatically declined in Facebook groups,” Morter said. “It was just left and right. I’m like, what? Then I found that video, and that’s literally what was going on. And not just for one day, but like two, three, who knows, maybe four days.”
The unrest coincided with spring break for local schools and mirrors a broader trend in nearby Chicago, where similar disturbances broke out the same day in the Hyde Park neighborhood.
Similar incidents have been escalating over the past several years.
According to the Naperville Sun, in June 2025, a 14-year-old was found carrying a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun during one such teen takeover, leading to felony charges.
In May 2025, two separate riots saw large crowds, vehicle burnouts, fireworks, citations and arrests.
Similar takeovers occurred in 2023, including one involving roughly 150 teens that required police intervention downtown.
Morter said her friend’s salon was targeted in the 2023 event.
“They tried breaking into the salon. My friend's salon had windows broken. They gave no warning,” she said.
Beyond the recent incidents, Morter said she believes crime and safety concerns in downtown Naperville have been ongoing and under-reported.
“It feels negligent. They care about reputation, not safety,” she said. “Crimes are brushed under the rug.”
Mortar said she has noticed a drastic difference in crime since subsidized housing was added near downtown.
“It’s literally dramatically different. There’s ghetto people coming up from every direction. I think ever since, like seven years ago, they started doing the subsidized living,” Morter said.
She said recent incidents have included assaults on elderly residents, attempted kidnappings, drinks being spiked and frequent robberies.
“All the businesses are constantly getting robbed out there right now,” she said.
Morter said ongoing safety issues, combined with a perceived lack of transparency from city officials, have left residents and business owners feeling vulnerable and frustrated.
“The neighborhood in general has become so shady and so gross,” she said.
Morter believes a lack of communication from the city in order to protect its reputation puts residents and visitors at risk.
“The main issue is dishonesty and hiding information to protect reputation instead of safety,” she said. “People don’t know to be cautious because they think it’s safe. That puts everyone at risk.”
City officials are reportedly now considering curfew changes to curb future “teen takeovers.”
Naperville was named America’s best place to live in 2025 for its strong schools, economy and housing market.