Four women were arrested in Joliet and two of them were accused of striking officers trying to break up large crowds and stop fights in parking lots near the Louis Joliet Mall.

About 2 a.m. Saturday, officers at Anthony’s Restaurant and Pub, 3151 Voyager Lane, had been working to clear the parking lot and nearby business parking lots after the restaurant closed for the evening, according to Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.

“Officers directed patrons to leave the parking lots, and those at Anthony’s complied without issue,” English said.

But large crowds continued to gather in nearby parking lots, English said.

Officers made multiple announcements for the people to disperse but the crowds became “increasingly disorderly, with arguments escalating into several physical altercations,” English said.

Officers intervened in a fight in the parking lot of Dollar Tree, where Aniyah Travis, 24, Plainfield, was arrested after she was accused of striking an officer in the chest, English said.

Other disturbances took place at the parking lot for Planet Fitness.

During those incidents, Erris Milsap, 38, of Plainfield, was arrested when she allegedly struck an officer as well, English said. Shykenya Lindsey, 34, Joliet, was arrested when she was accused of attempting to interfere with Milsap’s arrest, he said.

Ishaunda Mabry, 42, of Plainfield, was the fourth woman who was arrested when she was accused of refusing commands to leave the area and interfering with efforts to restore order, English said.

Travis, Milsap and Lindsey were arrested on probable cause of battery, obstructing a police officer and criminal trespass to real property.

Mabry was arrested on probable cause of disorderly conduct, obstructing a police officer and criminal trespass to property.

Online court records Monday have not shown formal charges against the four women.