Hillsborough, Tampa authorities arrest 15 in street racing crackdown
Authorities from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Tampa Police Department arrested 15 people in multiple locations in a joint street racing crackdown because of an event that circulated on social media, both agencies said in statements Monday.
The event, called “Tampa Bay Wet-N-Wild,” encouraged street takeovers — occupying intersections to perform doughnuts or other driving stunts. In addition to the arrests, officials gave 23 citations and took eight vehicles.
The Sheriff’s Office released footage from part of the operation showing the driver of a blue Mustang doing doughnuts in an intersection at Madison Avenue and South 50th Street, also known as U.S. Highway 41, in the Palm River-Clair Mel area, with other people standing just feet the moving vehicle.
Deputies say the driver of the Mustang was identified as Julias Lopez Jr., 18. After the incident seen on video, Hillsborough deputies attempted to pull Lopez over, but he fled, according to the release. Deputies say they followed the car on the road and from the air using a helicopter, and they arrested Lopez when he stopped the vehicle.
Lopez faces a felony charge of fleeing to elude and a misdemeanor charge of unlawful racing on the highway.
Authorities also arrested Basel Hammad, 21. According to the release, he performed doughnuts at the same intersection and was “drifting close to pedestrian traffic.”
Hammad fled when authorities tried to perform a traffic stop. He was arrested in Polk County after he crashed, the release said. Hammad faces a felony charge of fleeing to elude and misdemeanor charges of resisting without violence and unlawful racing on the highway.
The release also announced the arrest of Joshua Davis, 20, who deputies say was blocking the same intersection with his gray Chrysler 300 so others could perform doughnuts. He faces misdemeanor charges of unlawful racing on the highway and operating an unregistered vehicle.
Lopez and Davis were both released from a Hillsborough County jail after paying bail, according to jail records. Hammad remains in a Polk County jail, awaiting extradition to Hillsborough County, a Polk County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said. He has an $8,500 bail.
