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LA street takeover outside Crypto.com Arena
A street takeover recently broke out outside Crypto.com Arena. On Monday, Los Angeles County DA Nathan Hochman vowed to crack down against street takeovers.
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles police and prosecutors on Monday addressed the rising trend of illegal street takeovers and outlined a new plan to combat the crime.
What they're saying:
During a press conference Monday afternoon, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said law enforcement and prosecutors are "absolutely laser-focused" on stopping the growing trend of street takeovers.
The takeovers, often associated with looting by small mobs, have been a near-weekly occurrence in the city.
"We will not yield the streets to these illegal street takeovers," Hochman said.
Officials said individuals arrested for participating in street takeovers could face misdemeanor charges, including reckless driving (up to 90 days in county jail and/or a $1,000 fine), speed exhibition (up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine) or being a spectator at illegal takeovers (up to 180 days in jail and/or a $500 fine). Those who injure or kill someone may face felony charges.
But, Hochman is calling for stiffer punishments.
"For a second conviction the penalty shouldn't be a thousand dollars, it should be $2,500. The third penalty should be $5,000 and a year in county jail."
Dig deeper:
His announcement comes just days after a large and chaotic illegal takeover near Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.
"Although we are on the 33rd floor, we hear the noise," said Idit Benari.
Her son lives in a building across the street from the arena.
Ferris Tejani often visits the area. He said he sees videos of takeovers online a lot.
"I've seen videos like this on social media, people getting hit. It's pretty wild," said Tejani.
Tejani said he welcomes increased punishments for people who participate in takeovers.
"Scary not just for the people driving, just all the people over here. I've seen shootings that occur with car stuff so yeah, I could just be walking here and something crazy happens," said Tejani.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell has put forward a motion to make these changes. It could come up for a vote as early as September.
Besides partnering with law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney's Office has joined with other county departments to develop and implement a street takeover reduction action plan. The plan's goals include increasing youth education, expanding enforcement operations and installing deterrents at several intersections known to be takeover locations.
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LA officials address rise in street takeovers
Los Angeles officials held a press conference on Monday, Aug. 11 to address the rise in street takeovers.
Local perspective:
According to officials, the takeovers have been linked to other criminal acts, such as the looting of nearby businesses. In some cases, such as in 2024 and 2022, innocent bystanders have been killed after they were hit by vehicles during street takeovers.
SUGGESTED:
- 2 more stores looted near street takeovers sites in LA County
- Street takeovers in Bellflower, Lakewood overnight, at least 7 businesses looted
- South LA AutoZone looted after street takeover
- Car shows or street takeovers? Local residents' frustration grows
A report released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in March showed LA County seeing a dramatic rise in street takeovers in 2024.
The Source: The information in this article is based on an upcoming news conference by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and other law enforcement officials. Additional details on the rise of street takeovers are sourced from a report released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.