Two illegal street take overs ended in fires that resulted in a car dealership damaged in University Park. Camilla Rambaldi reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024.
Two illegal street takeovers early Tuesday morning ended with two cars set on fire and left a nearby car dealership vandalized in two different areas of Los Angeles.
One of the incidents occurred at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street, in Exposition Park, around 3:20 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
After making several dangerous maneuvers at the intersection, they proceeded to set the vehicle on fire and break the window of a car dealership located on that corner.
The crowd dispersed when police arrived and no arrests were reported.
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"It's definitely frustrating, it's very disheartening," said Jason Chichon, who works at Felix Chevrolet dealership, which was impacted by the takeover.
"Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened at this intersection," Chichon said. "This is the first time we’re been vandalized. Tt’s very unfortunate for us. We have been serving the community for over 100 years."
Another street takeover reported a little earlier in South Los Angeles, ended with the vehicle of one of the participants set on fire.
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The incident occurred around 12:15 a.m., at the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenues. Firefighters found the car on fire and were able to extinguish the blaze within minutes.
"Let’s face it -- we’ve seen a number of these in the past where these cars were set on fire intentionally," said LAPD Commander Craig Valenzuela, who leads the department's Street Racing Task Force. "I’m most worried because these are becoming more violent. The exhibition of burned cars – and takeovers and looting of stores – these are not just street takeovers where folks are spinning and doing doughnuts and dispersing."
No arrests or injuries were reported in the incident.
