Deputies Find Only Smoke, Burnt Rubber From South LA Street Takeover
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Deputies responding to several calls of reckless driving overnight in a South LA intersection found only the remnants of smoke and rubber marks left behind from another street takeover.
The latest takeover happened at South Broadway and 131st Street early Monday morning, where rubber marks were still visible in the street hours later.
More than 100 people had gathered to watch cars do donuts at high speed in the intersection. People were seen dancing and cheering as one car's rear bumper veers by at high speed, forcing some to jump out of the way at times.
Street takeovers trapped Pastor James Joseph and his congregation inside their building, right on the corner.
"We had one incident where we were letting out church, and one of the members was almost hit. So people don't want to come around," he said.
The sheriff's department confirmed it had received several calls about reckless driving in the area. But by the time deputies arrived, the crowd and the cars were gone.
A spokesperson from the department says preventing street takeovers – which are usually coordinated via social media – can be difficult because they are often spontaneous.