According to a California sheriff’s office, a juvenile male was apprehended after a group of juveniles surrounded an officer’s police car earlier this month, attacking it with fists and kicks before the officer could escape.
A statement issued said that the juvenile, who was 15 years old at the time, reportedly taunted the officer and his patrol unit at a crossroads in Highland and opened the door of the patrol car. The 15-year-old was arrested for felony vandalism and attempted carjacking at his home in Menifee, Riverside County.
Just after midnight on May 11, the deputy managed to shut the door and speed away from the confrontation. The front windshield of the deputy’s car was smashed when a mob of thugs pounded on the glass and kicked it, as shown on video footage that police had collected.
A planned gathering of around one hundred people met at the junction of Highland and Victoria Avenues after midnight on May 12th for the Highland, California, illegal street takeover. Participants flooded the crossroads from a nearby fire hydrant, allowing drivers more room to slide and execute risky maneuvers.
Highland is 65 miles away from Los Angeles.
According to Gloria Huerta of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the situation is very troubling since such individuals clearly do not fear law enforcement. Nothing is worth the risk of being arrested, hurting someone, or hurting yourself if you take part in this sort of activity, whether as a spectator or as an operator of the vehicles.
There doesn’t seem to be a clear goal or driving force behind the street takeover. In all likelihood, it was an unlawful and careless get-together whose primary goal was to cause mayhem by doing car stunts and thus disturbing the peace.
At the corner of Tippecanoe and 5th Avenues, another street takeover had occurred two hours before. After their arrests, two individuals were eventually let go.
Regional authorities have been actively addressing the persistent problem of street takeovers, in which large groups of people block junctions for the purpose of unlawful driving demonstrations.
