A late-night street takeover in South Los Angeles came to an abrupt halt early Saturday when a large-scale LAPD operation closed in, with dramatic drone video capturing crowds of suspected street-racing spectators and drivers rushing to get away as officers sealed off the area.
Authorities said more than 700 people had gathered near South Figueroa Street and West Alondra Boulevard at around 2 a.m. for the illegal event.
This time, however, police appeared to be one step ahead.
The LAPD told the California Post that a tactical alert was declared at 3:21 a.m. as more than 150 officers moved into the neighborhood. By the end of the crackdown, officials said 69 people had been arrested, 570 citations had been handed out, 200 vehicles had been impounded and seven firearms had been recovered.
From above, aerial footage showed a frantic scene as police units surrounded the intersection, forcing people to weave between vehicles while looking for a route out.
Tow trucks were staged close by as well, ready to remove cars linked to the sweeping enforcement action.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the effort, named “Operation Street Sweeper,” had been planned for months, according to ABC7.
Investigators relied on intelligence work and drone surveillance to predict where four different street takeovers were expected to unfold, giving officers the chance to move in before participants could scatter and vanish.
“This is not harmless fun. This is criminal behavior,” McDonnell said during a press conference announcing the arrests. “Your children are participating in an active crime scene where they are lawfully subject to immediate arrest and exposed to harm.”
A resident who lives just steps from the intersection, Maple Patton, told the outlet the chaos sounded like an explosion.
“I’m thinking, ‘Did a bomb go off?!’” Patton said. “Every weekend, they’re taking over, and I’m thinking, ‘We gotta do something to stop this.’”
The operation also involved Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers.
At least one impounded vehicle caught fire during the operation, McDonnell said.
Street takeovers have become an ongoing scourge across Los Angeles County, with authorities warning that the gatherings can fuel dangerous driving, violence and other crimes. Some recent events have also been linked to robberies at nearby businesses.
The Sheriff’s Department has pledged to target not only spectators but organizers and participants through arrests, citations, vehicle impounds and criminal prosecution.
