L.A. 'street takeovers' continue as support for AB 645 urged
Three "street takeovers" took place in different intersections across Los Angeles early Monday morning as community members and victims' families push for support of Assembly Bill 645, a traffic safety proposal.
Fresh skidmarks are left at Florence and Normandie avenues after dozens of drivers reportedly sped through and performed stunts in the intersection between midnight and 1 a.m. Monday.
The intersections of San Pedro Street and Century Boulevard, and Crenshaw Boulevard and Coliseum Street were also the scene of fresh "street takeovers" early Monday.
Multiple pedestrians were recorded at the scene standing in the center of intersections and surrounding the areas.
Los Angeles police officers responded but no arrests have been reported.
The city of Pico Rivera last week passed an anti-street-takeover ordinance that holds spectators as accountable as drivers performing stunts by making it a misdemeanor to be present at any street takeover. Anyone present at the events, spectators and drivers, will have to pay $2,000. The ordinance allows the city to permanently seize any cars either doing donuts or blocking intersections at the events.
Compton residents have recently demanded action to end street takeovers. One of the many residents that spoke up during the city's latest meeting was Cindi Enamorado, whose brother was mowed down and killed following a street takeover that started in the city on Feb. 19.
Raymond Olivares, 27, was on a walk with his high school sweetheart when they were run over by a man fleeing from a nearby street takeover last December, according to deputies. His girlfriend continues to recover from the crash.
Several businesses were recently ransacked after a series of street takeovers in Compton.
In January, a man was arrested in New Mexico, suspected in the death of 24-year-old nursing student Elyzza Guajaca, who was standing in a crowd of spectators near the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Florence Avenue in Hyde Park on Christmas Night last year when she was struck by a vehicle involved in a street takeover.
