21 people, one of whom hit 160 mph, are indicted for street racing: San Diego DA
More than a dozen people charged with reckless driving appeared in San Diego Superior Court on Monday and Tuesday, part of the county’s crackdown on dangerous and deadly street racing.
The suspects were involved in five separate incidents across the county last March, according to prosecutors with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. At times, investigators say, drivers reached speeds up to 160 mph on freeways.
The group, a total of 21 people, were indicted for conspiring to engage in street racing events that were organized on social media, according to DA’s office.
Those indicted, who range in age from 43 to 21, include:
- Amir Abdullah
- Matthew Acevedo
- Onno Cooley
- Javier Cortez
- Christopher Fiscal
- Trevion Fort
- Cory Gloudeman
- Gustavo Gonzalez-Rodriguez
- Terrel Griffin
- Kerry Laborde
- Jose Mandujano-Hernandez
- Ashanti Molton
- Daniel Morales
- Alfredo Nambo
- Brandon Romero
- Trevor Thomas
- Allen Valdovinos
- Julian Vazquez
- Erin Webster
One of the defendants, who entered a not-guilty plea on Tuesday and said he did not want to show his face, spoke to NBC 7 outside of court. He said he believes the charges are based on false premises.
“We’re being indicted for just being on social media and, I guess, just having the wrong people follow us or befriend us,” the driver said. “The main charge, too, is exhibition of speed, which is doing donuts and burnouts. My car’s an all-wheel drive vehicle. Physically, it’s almost impossible to do that in that vehicle, too, so that’s something that I want to see how they’re explaining that logic of charging us with that.”
Over the past four years, according to prosecutors, six people have been killed in speed racing crashes.
The last few people accused of street racing are expected to appear in court on Thursday.
