Teens Overtake a San Diego Pool Rental by the Hundreds, Homeowner Gets a Citation

A backyard pool rental in San Diego County was apparently supposed to provide a place to swim. By Sunday night, hundreds of teenagers were spilling into the surrounding neighborhood, climbing onto roofs and trying to get onto other people’s property.

Video recorded by neighbor Jung Chae shows a long line of young people outside the 4S Ranch-area home as the crowd grew. Chae told ABC 10News that he became worried enough about his family’s safety that he considered grabbing a baseball bat.

The response eventually included multiple San Diego Police Department units and a helicopter. NBC 7 reported that police estimated as many as 400 people were outside the Barolo Court home, most of them underage. A 16-year-old was also injured nearby after being struck in the head during an assault.

By the end of the night, the homeowner had received an administrative citation. The gathering, however, wasn’t the result of someone renting the entire house for the weekend: 10News reported that the homeowner had been renting out the swimming pool through Swimply, a platform that lets people book private pools by the hour. She told the station afterward that she had removed her pool from the service.

Out Of The Backyard

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Once the crowd grew beyond the backyard, neighbors were dealing with the party too.

Chae’s video showed teenagers around neighboring homes, while NBC 7 reported that people were jumping a fence to get into the rented backyard. Police also reported juveniles with open containers of alcohol in the street, along with fireworks.

Some attendees appeared unable to walk away on their own. Video obtained by NBC 7 showed people being carried and others collapsing in the street.

The injured 16-year-old was taken to a hospital, where his parents were notified. 10News reported that police described a roughly one-inch cut to his head and said he had been hit with an unknown object.

NBC 7 reported a somewhat more specific account: police believed a broken bottle may have been involved, but the teenager and his friends could not identify whoever attacked him. The assault remained under investigation.

Another Knock

Sunday’s crowd wasn’t the first time police had been called to the address over a pool party.

10News reported that officers were sent there on Aug. 28 after another gathering, although that party had already ended by the time they arrived. The department told the station it did not consider the two calls a pattern.

Neighbors told both stations they had seen previous pool rentals at the property.

That distinction matters when considering some of the anger directed at the homeowner after video of Sunday’s gathering circulated. Police did take enforcement action, but the verified action so far is an administrative citation — not a reported criminal charge arising from the party or the teenager’s assault.

Swimply itself also places limits on what can happen during bookings. The company’s terms state that anyone under 21 is prohibited from possessing or consuming alcohol during a reservation and that guests are responsible for complying with applicable laws.

Nothing in the available reporting establishes that the homeowner supplied alcohol to the teenagers or authorized underage drinking.

The homeowner told 10News she had removed the pool from Swimply following the incident. Police, meanwhile, were still investigating the assault that left the 16-year-old injured.