Two attacks on the streets of South Los Angeles turned vandalism early Tuesday morning, when the window of a local car dealership was smashed and cars were set on fire.
Los Angeles police and firefighters responded to a call minutes after midnight about a vehicle on fire and a possible street takeover at the intersection of Normandie and Florence avenues. The vehicle was so charred that it was inoperable and had to be towed, police said.
Margaret Stewart, public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the crowd and vehicles were packed tightly together and firefighters had difficulty reaching the burning vehicle.
The second call came in at 3:23 a.m. from the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street, just steps from USC’s main campus. Los Angeles police and firefighters responded to another call about a noisy carjacking, with a second vehicle catching fire, this one containing fireworks.
In video of the street takeover obtained by KABC7, loud banging noises can be heard in the background as the crowd drives past Felix Chevrolet on Figueroa Street. Glass shards are scattered on the ground from a broken window at the car dealership. A person wearing a ski mask appears to be retrieving items from a burning gray sedan.
With each takeover, new black skid marks on the asphalt indicated where drivers had repeatedly spun “donuts” through the night.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, there were no injuries or arrests in either incident.
South Los Angeles residents are crying foul.
“I live in the neighborhood and I can hear it at night,” said Emma, who works at a local business. Emma, who gave only her first name out of fear for her safety, said the noise often wakes her and her neighbors in the middle of the night, with the sudden explosion of fireworks setting off car alarms. She said these late-night rendezvous are increasing and now happen several times a week.
The Avalon Gardens resident believes the perpetrators were encouraged by law enforcement, who she says remain lax despite numerous complaints from neighbors to the city.
“When [police] “Don’t come, it’s 15 minutes too late,” as the crowd had already dispersed and gone home, she added.
Between 2019 and 2020, the number of street takeovers nearly doubled due to the pandemic. These illegal protests have been deadly, as the Times has previously reported. Earlier this year, another street takeover left two sedans burning at the intersection of West 18th and Main Street.
The Los Angeles City Council has tried to curb street racing and carjacking by installing speed bumps at 20 popular gathering spots to prevent drivers from performing stunts.
