Two street takeovers in South Los Angeles led to acts of vandalism early Tuesday when a local car dealership's window was smashed and cars were set on fire.
The Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments responded a few minutes after midnight to a call about a vehicle on fire and a possible street occupation at the intersection of Normandie and Florence avenues. The vehicle was so charred it was undrivable and had to be impounded, according to police.
Margaret Stewart, public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the large crowd and vehicles were packed closely together and firefighters had difficulty reaching the burning vehicle.
The second call came in at 3:23 a.m. from the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street, a short distance from USC’s main campus. Los Angeles police officers and firefighters responded to another report of a violent vehicle takeover, in which a second vehicle containing fireworks had been set on fire.
In a video of the street takeover obtained by KABC7, loud banging noises can be heard in the background as the crowd runs past Felix Chevrolet on Figueroa Street. Glass is scattered on the ground from a broken window at the car dealership. An individual wearing a ski mask appears to grab items from a gray sedan that is on fire.
At each takeover incident, fresh black skid marks could be seen on the asphalt where drivers had repeatedly spun “doughnuts” overnight.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, there were no injuries or arrests in either incident.
Residents of South Los Angeles are protesting.
“I live in the neighborhood and I hear it at night,” said Emma, who works at a local business. Emma, who gave only her first name out of fear for her safety, says the noise often wakes her and her neighbors in the middle of the night, with the sudden explosion of fireworks setting off car alarms. She said these nighttime encounters have increased to several times a week.
The Avalon Gardens resident believes the culprits have been emboldened by police, who she says remain lax despite numerous complaints from residents to the city.
“When [police] “They arrived 15 minutes too late,” when the crowd had already dispersed and gone home, he added.
Between 2019 and 2020, the number of street occupations nearly doubled amid the pandemic. The illegal shows have been deadly, as The Times previously reported. Earlier this year, another street occupation left two sedans ablaze at the intersection of West 18th and Main Street.
The Los Angeles City Council has attempted to curb street racing and takeovers by installing speed bumps at 20 popular gathering spots to prevent drivers from performing stunts.
