Well, it’s a start…
After three months of investigating, California Highway Patrol has made a lone arrest and snagged $20,000 in stolen retail merchandise after a huge street takeover was held on San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, per a report from KTVU. What’s more, the guy who was arrested has bonded out of jail and who knows what consequences he’ll face long term.
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As a refresher, the original takeover event happened on February 12 at around 1 am. Vehicles and a large crowd were blocking traffic lanes, making it difficult for police officers to get to the event and break it up. This sort of tactic is used by street takeover people all the time. And of course law enforcement didn’t make any arrests, which just emboldens these kids further.
A police helicopter did get footage of the event, including a distinct green Camaro. Then in March it was spotted at another takeover event, where miraculously police were able to stop it and impound the vehicle. Going through the Chevy, investigators determined stolen parts were installed on it. Imagine the shock!
From there, CHP went to the Camaro owner’s house where they found stolen car parts and about $20,000 in stolen retail items. Photos show all kinds of toiletry items and we can’t help but think of all those videos posted all over the internet of people walking into Walgreens and other stores with garbage sacks, filling them up, and then just walking out.
While it’s great one guy was arrested, police really should be making mass arrests at these events and afterward.
We’ve been saying over and over that street takeovers aren’t just harmless fun. Not only can they keep people from getting where they need to be, bystanders get hurt at them all the time, plus they’re magnets for all kinds of other illegal activities. Many of the cars used in them are stolen, and as this case shows others aren’t stolen but are using stolen parts. This is why we as enthusiasts need to do all we can to condemn these gatherings as something toxic and absolutely not a part of car culture.
Image via KTVU
