19 cars seized, 27 arrested in illegal street takeover in Pomona
A driver who allegedly rammed his vehicle into a police cruiser while attempting to flee a street takeover in Pomona was arrested along with 26 other people at the illegal event Sunday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities said they impounded 19 vehicles in connection with the street takeover near the intersection of Rio Rancho Road and Rancho Valley Drive. Charges included assault on a police officer, possession of a firearm and possession of drugs. Most of the people were arrested on suspicion of spectating or participating in the takeover.
About 100 to 150 vehicles were gathered for the takeover, at which spectators watched drivers perform dangerous stunts in their vehicles, according to authorities. Dispatchers with the Pomona Police Department received a call just before 9 p.m. from a concerned citizen who reported the drivers were doing burnouts in a shopping center parking lot.
There is a growing backlash in some neighborhoods, with residents demanding authorities do more to crack down on the illegal gatherings that can turn deadly in a flash.
Police issued eight parking citations and a moving citation and impounded a vehicle, according to Pomona police spokesperson Aly Mejia. She said the Police Department has “a zero-tolerance stance regarding street takeovers/street racing.”
The takeover group headed north toward Roselawn Avenue and Pomona Boulevard, where they continued to perform dangerous maneuvers in their cars, according to police. The California Highway Patrol followed the group to the location and closed off a street, blocking in the vehicles. CHP officers said that when they arrived at the scene they saw plumes of smoke from people performing burnouts.
While police attempted to block in the vehicles, one driver allegedly rammed his car into a CHP cruiser. Both the suspect’s vehicle and the CHP cruiser were damaged, but none of the officers in the cruiser were injured, according to a social media post by the CHP Baldwin Park station.
In a two-day operation targeting illegal street takeovers, LAPD arrests one person wanted for attempted murder and another wanted for hit-and-run.
The CHP Baldwin Park station did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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