PEORIA, Ill. — A fight at the Peoria Chuck E. Cheese on Saturday night led to arrests.
Police said one adult and one juvenile were taken into custody at the family restaurant and the night before 6 people were arrested at another fight at the Landmark Recreation Center.
Residents told 25 News that the fighting concerned them and made them rethink where and when they go out.
“I find that I wouldn’t go to the mall at night time cause I know there was a lot of fights there too,” Mapleton resident Lisa Sweet said.
“We want to go places with our families and not have to worry about things like that happening,” Peoria resident,” Jeabria Lester said.
Both of the weekend fights had something in common; they happened at places where children frequent leaving some asking witnessing these fights affected our youth.
“For the children who that is not a typical part of their experience, those types of situations can be very overwhelming for them,” Clinical psychologist Barbara Toohill said. “For the children who maybe have been exposed to more of those types of situations in their lives, unfortunately it contributes to some desensitization.”
Toohill said any violence could negatively impact children, but violence in places that are expected to be safe poses an additional threat to mental health.
“For any of us, if no place was safe, we would all develop just always being on edge, always carrying some tension.” Toohill said.
Police Chief Eric Echevarria said he was disappointed with the fights and the adults that fought and recorded it.
“In our community they need to be responsible for what’s happening,” Echevarria said. “Is Chuck E. Cheese the place now that we need to be walking through every day and making sure that people are acting accordingly?”
25 News reached out to landmark and they declined to comment and they are waiting for a response from Chuck E. Cheese.
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