It was a busy weekend for both Reno and Sparks Police Departments as they dealt with street takeovers, also called sideshows, which at times can lead to civil unrest. Police say it all started Friday night at 10:30 at the Walmart on Vista Knoll Parkway.
Involving hundreds of cars and thousands of participants. Police broke up the sideshow, and the group then went to Mount Anderson and Echo Avenue where police say the cars were driving recklessly.
Officers again used tactics to shut the area down. Next the group broke into two, going to industrial areas on Packer Way in Sparks and Trademark in Reno. Officers then made more arrests.
Afterwards the group moved to downtown Reno at Virginia Street and Fifth Street... taking over that intersection. Several fights broke out among the crowd, and law enforcement says several assaults were directed towards officers. Police made more arrests there as well.
The group then moved to the Target parking lot on Sierra Center Pkwy.
There were a total of two felony arrests, 10 misdemeanor arrests, 33 citations and 14 cars towed. The consequences can include expensive citations, arrests and could result in the vehicles involved being impounded. Spectating is also considered a crime in the city.
Residents are afraid if this activity continues more people will get hurt and more damage will be done. Marcia Rambaud a Reno Resident says "It's really dangerous and I don't even understand… I'm glad they're cracking down on it because I don't think it is a good thing at all."
According to Reno Police, they responded to several reckless drivers. One resident says she works at a warehouse that was vandalized after illegal street racing took place.
Michele Rider, another Reno Resident tells us "I think it's horrible… they should not be here and racing in our parking lots, breaking bottles and tagging buildings. A lot of work is having to be done to clean up afterwards. Cars are getting damaged because of what they left behind."
Due to the huge amount of illegal street racing and side shows this weekend, law enforcement had to temporarily close down Victorian Avenue to protect drivers on the roads. Rider says "It's effecting a lot of people, businesses, their lives and how they get home, it's awful they need to stop."
Some residents say they were surprised to hear about the influx in illegal street racing and side shows happening in the area.
Rambaud mentions "We’ve only lived here 4 years, and I haven't even heard about it in these 4 years, but I definitely heard about it over the weekend."
One person this weekend was hit by a reckless driver, officers were able to locate and impound the vehicle involved and identified the driver.
The driver was then interviewed and subsequently arrested.
Rambaud said "If it was my kids I would say ‘I don't know what you're thinking but you better think twice about what you're doing, because somebody is going to get hurt’ they're going to get hurt bad, and innocent people can get hurt."
