Two street takeovers in South Los Angeles veered into vandalism early Tuesday morning as the window of a local car dealership was smashed and cars were set on fire.
The Los Angeles police and fire departments responded a few minutes past midnight to a call of a vehicle on fire and a possible street takeover at the intersection of Normandie and Florence avenues. The vehicle was so charred, it was not driveable and had to be impounded, according to police.
Margaret Stewart, a public information officer with the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the large crowd and vehicles were packed tightly, and firefighters struggled to reach the flaming vehicle.
The second call came at 3:23 a.m. from the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street, walking distance from the main USC campus. Los Angeles police officers and firefighters responded to another report of a rowdy takeover, with a second vehicle that had caught fire, this one containing fireworks.
In video of the street takeover obtained by KABC7, loud popping noises can be heard in the background as crowds run past Felix Chevrolet on Figueroa Street. Glass is scattered on the ground from a shattered window at the car dealership. One individual in a ski mask appears to grab items from a gray sedan that is on fire.
In each takeover incident, fresh black skid marks on the asphalt traced where drivers had spun “doughnuts” repeatedly in the night.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, there were no injuries and no arrests at either incident.
Residents of South Los Angeles are crying foul.
“I live in the neighborhood and I can hear it at night,” said Emma, who works at a local business. Emma, who provided 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 abrupt explosion of fireworks setting off car alarms. She said these late-night rendezvous have increased to several times a week.
The Avalon Gardens resident believes the culprits have been emboldened by law enforcement that she says remains lax in spite of neighbors’ numerous complaints to the city.
“When [police] do arrive, it’s 15 minutes too late,” when the crowds have already dispersed and gone home, she added.
From 2019 to 2020, the number of street takeovers nearly doubled amid the pandemic. The illegal sideshows have been deadly, as The Times has previously reported. Earlier this year, another street takeover left two sedans burning at the intersection of West 18th and Main streets.
The L.A. City Council has attempted to curb street racing and takeovers by installing speed bumps at 20 popular meetups to prevent drivers from performing tricks.