Three 19-year-old New Brunswick men faced criminal trespassing charges in Livingston Municipal Court during the week of Aug. 11 after police say they illegally entered the now-vacant Livingston Mall on June 19.

Willie Stuart, Justin Fryar and Mansaray Aruna were each charged with criminal trespassing, according to the West Essex Tribune. Court officials confirmed the charges. No disposition has been reported.

The arrests came five days before the Livingston Police Department issued a public zero-tolerance warning on June 24. The township's official account posted on X that individuals found trespassing at the property "will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which could result in a permanent arrest record."

Police Captain Joseph D'Andrea told ABC7 Eyewitness News around the same time that a recent increase in trespassing at the mall had been fueled by social media trends.

The 43-acre Livingston Mall property now sits entirely empty. The mall opened in 1972.

Barnes & Noble was the last store operating there, closing its mall location on July 15 before holding a grand opening at a standalone space at 530 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave. on Aug. 5, according to NJ.com. The bookstore leased nearly 25,000 square feet at the Livingston Shopping Center on Route 10 in a deal brokered by RIPCO Real Estate and VanRock, NJBIZ reported.

The bookstore's departure followed a string of exits. Macy's closed its anchor store in early 2026 as part of a national restructuring. LensCrafters relocated to the Mall at Short Hills in May. Hidden Treasures, a collectibles shop, also left in recent months.

Livingston Township designated the mall property as an area in need of redevelopment in 2024 and has since run a community-led planning process to shape the site's future, according to NJBIZ reporting on the Macy's closure. No specific vote, RFP deadline or council action date for the redevelopment has been announced.

The three trespassing cases reached municipal court roughly seven weeks after police announced their zero-tolerance stance. Whether the empty building continues to attract intruders may depend on how quickly redevelopment moves forward.