A 23-year-old YouTube celebrity with millions of subscribers was charged earlier this week with two misdemeanors for being at the May 30 riot which has shut down Scottsdale Fashion Square, the largest retail complex in Arizona.
Jake Joseph Paul of Century City, California is the subject of a criminal complaint filed Tuesday for criminal trespass and for unlawful assembly. He has been summoned to appear in Scottsdale City Court for arraignment on July 8.
The charges against Paul stem from videos and surveillance footage reviewed by Scottsdale investigators of last Saturday’s looting and vandalism.
“During our ongoing investigation it was confirmed that social media influencer Jake Paul was in attendance and remained inside of the mall after an unlawful assembly was declared and has been charged with Criminal Trespass and Unlawful Assembly,” the department stated Thursday.
Paul is among 20 people arrested as of Thursday morning in connection to the widespread damage and looting done at the Fashion Square. However, he contends he only went to Scottsdale in response to reports of a protest in the affluent community.
“To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism” Paul later posted on social media, explaining he only intended to be “documenting, not engaging” in the protest.
He also commented that while he does not condone breaking the law, “I understand the anger and frustration that led to the destruction we witnessed and while it’s not the answer, it’s important that people see it and collectively figure out how to move forward in a healthy way.”
Scottsdale police have recovered some items stolen during the looting, but it is believed goods worth hundreds of thousands of dollars are still missing. In addition, the Fashion Square management and several insurance companies are working to determine the cost to repair the extensive vandalism damage inside the 2 million square-foot retail complex.
“Our hearts are broken for our community,” the Scottsdale Fashion Square website states. “We’ll get through this together and we look forward to seeing you soon.”
Scottsdale Fashion Square is located near the intersection of Scottsdale and Camelback Roads. Among its high-end retailers are Bulgari, Cartier, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Versace. There has been no public announcement as to when all or part of the complex will reopen.
Other Scottsdale businesses were targeted over the weekend by vandals and looters, including a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
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