Los Angeles street takeovers keep happening, and they’re once again taking a turn for the worse. Owners of Infinitis and Nissans in LA keep having their cars stolen to be used in takeovers. The cars are later found either wrecked or burned.
According to LA’s NBC 4, San Fernando Valley street takeovers that took place on October 5 had people doing more than just doing donuts in their own cars in the middle of an intersection. Some that were at these takeovers may have been car thieves, specifically on the lookout for Nissan and Infiniti models to use in the takeovers. Similar to what happened with the Kia Boyz, you can thank social media for giving them the instructions on how to steal them.
Auto theft detectives say the online instructions are relatively easy to follow, and with a device meant for professional locksmiths, they enable thieves to create new electronic keys to unlock and start the cars in minutes.
Dozens of videos of takeovers posted on a variety of social media platforms in recent weeks show people spinning-out Infinitis in intersections around LA.
LAPD Deputy Chief Don Graham — the officer in charge of the department’s Street Racing Task Force — said that while they weren’t able to stop the takeovers from happening due to being in another part of the city when they occurred, info gathered about those that attended helped stop another gathering. Graham says something else was planned for the next night involving a group that had come to LA from San Francisco.
As for the vehicles targeted, the LAPD confirmed that five vehicles were later found wrecked and destroyed by fire at various locations in the San Fernando Valley. The department also confirmed that most of the models that were stolen and used in the takeovers were Infiniti G35 and G37s, with an estimated total loss of a quarter-million dollars.
Graham also mentioned that the department needs help in stopping these takeovers from happening. He urged people to talk to their kids or family members who may see this stuff and think that it’s cool to do it. “The response to this can’t just be a police response, we need the community’s assistance,” he said.
