5 teens, 2 adults charged after fight captured on video outside Maryland State Fair
Five teens and two adults are facing charges after a video captured a fight outside the Maryland State Fair in late August, Baltimore County police said Tuesday.
Four 14-year-olds, a 15-year-old and two adults — Melika Gamble-Thomas, 33, and Tiera Gamble, 37 — were charged in connection with the assault and public disturbance, according to officers.
Fight outside Maryland State Fair
Police began investigating the brawl after a video of the incident circulated on social media.
According to Maryland State Fair General Manager Andy Cashman, the group of teens may have been denied entry to the fair due to the unaccompanied minor policy.
In the video, a teen was seen being dragged by their hair during the fight, which police said involved at least a dozen other teens.
Officers at the fair encountered the group of teens and said several arrests were made. According to police, some of the suspects fled the scene in a car.
Some of the officers suffered minor injuries during the response, police said.
The state fair's unaccompanied minor policy, which started in 2024, dictates that minors cannot enter the fair without supervision from an adult. Under the rule, one adult can chaperone up to six minors.
"It's been a problem," Cashman said. "These children come out in groups, and they try to cause havoc or whatever. It's a shame."
Crime in Baltimore County
Assault offenses in Baltimore County declined slightly in 2024, according to data from the police department.
In 2024, 11,658 assault offenses were reported, and in 2023, 11,663 cases were reported, data shows. So far in 2025, 8,079 assault cases have been reported.
Maryland leaders have been working to address rising juvenile crime in recent years.
According to a 2024 report from the state Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), 18% of juvenile assaults in Baltimore County in 2024 involved misdemeanor assaults, while 3% involved felony assault charges.
Between 2022 and 2024, juvenile criminal complaints increased by 26% in the county, and the number of minors arrested for violent crimes increased from 12% to 16%, according to the report.