By Isaac Ceja / Real America News
Two cars were caught in flames after a “street takeover,” or street blockade, around 3 a.m. Saturday at the corner of 18th Street and Main Street in downtown Los Angeles, in an industrial zone.
Several cars participated in the activity where young people spin their vehicle tires while turning their cars at high speeds in the presence of dozens of people and curious onlookers.
Despite the noise, the chaos, the fireworks and the burning of vehicles, the authorities of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said that they did not arrest anyone.
Firefighters arrived shortly after 3 a.m. and extinguished the fire, but no injuries were reported, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesman.
After the fire was put out, both cars were towed away by the LAPD and the intersection returned to normal, surrounded only by homeless encampments.
The street seizures have attracted a lot of attention from the public and the media due to the consequences they cause, not only for the participants but also for the residents of the area, homes and businesses around the area.
Videos that have gone viral on social media often show people being seriously injured by vehicles. Last year, an LAPD officer was injured while trying to clear an intersection near the center of the arts district in Los Angeles. Last month, an auto parts store was looted in South Los Angeles at the end of a street event of this type.
Adrian Norris, a young man who lives on the street below Highway 10 near where the incident occurred last Saturday, decided to leave the area to avoid danger when he realized what was happening.
“It’s a big security problem, but people do what they want when they come and decide to block the streets,” said Norris, who explained that he prefers to walk away that day rather than take the risk of being arrested or accused of being one of participants.
Although both burned vehicles were towed, they left marks on the concrete and a lot of trash that Norris helped clean up.
The homeless man says that street occupations occur in the area at least once a month. He believes that even if the city does something to prevent the problem, people will find another place to continue doing the same thing.
According to a report by the LA Times, the city of Los Angeles launched a pilot program to prevent street squatting and related activities in February.
In some areas of Los Angeles, reinforced center lines have been installed at certain intersections to deter stunt driving, but what happened Saturday was on a different street.
On Main Street is the restaurant El Sazón Katracho #3 where Giovanni Asturias works, a young waiter who fears that something could happen in the restaurant as a result of the activities that occur with the street shots.
Asturias mentioned that some time ago a car that participated in a street takeover lost control and hit some cars that were parked near the restaurant.
“I am worried because if they do it during the day and I am here, they can hit my car or they can hit a person,” said Asturias. “This problem is not only here, but also where I live and in various parts of the city. I see them doing it and it is a risk for those who live nearby.”
Asturias added that he hopes to see more enforcement to help prevent riots in the future.
In a CBS News report, Councilman Kevin De Leon said he will increase funding next month for a task force created specifically to combat street takeovers in Los Angeles, including funding for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the LAPD and the California Highway Patrol.