Maryland man arrested for role in illegal car rally during Super Bowl celebration in Philadelphia
Philadelphia Eagles fans celebrated their team's championship, following their 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Troopers said 19-year-old Yariel M. Fuentes-Reyes, from Laurel, Maryland, has been charged in Maryland with misdemeanor possession of a firearm by a minor and possession of a firearm without a serial number.
Fuentes-Reyes was identified during a collaborative effort from the Maryland Car Rally Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department.
Fuentes-Reyes was transferred to the Anne Arundel County Detention Center for an initial court appearance. He will be extradited to Pennsylvania, where he faces numerous felony and misdemeanor charges related to the car rally.
Search leads to firearm confiscation
On Thursday, July 3, state police said task force members, assisted by the Maryland State Police Special Tactical Assault Team Element (STATE) and the Philadelphia Police Department, served a search warrant at Fuentes-Reyes' home in Laurel.
During the search, investigators recovered an unserialized Polymer 80 handgun. Police said the operation was conducted as part of an ongoing investigation into the illegal car rally during the Super Bowl in Philadelphia.
Video shows Maryland car rally
WJZ obtained video from one of several illegal car rallies in Maryland that were dismantled last weekend.
Six large-scale rallies on public roads in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Harford County were broken up as part of the crackdown on illegal car meetups.
A rally on South Central Avenue in Baltimore's Harbor East showed dozens of people as a car spun around doing donuts at the intersection on Saturday night.
These rallies blocked roads and intersections across the Baltimore area.
The enforcement started around 11 p.m. on Saturday, which included high-visibility patrols, preventing crowds ranging from dozens to hundreds of people from participating in the illegal exhibition driving.
"They target industrial complexes, parking lots, anything where these illegal driving exhibitions are happening," said Kyleigh Beaver, a spokesperson for Maryland State Police.
What is the Maryland Car Rally Task Force
In 2024, law enforcement agencies across Maryland formed the Maryland Car Rally Task Force to combat illegal driving exhibitions.
The task force increases patrols in hotspot areas known for illegal street exhibitions..
The task force is comprised of the Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and police departments from Prince George's, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Montgomery counties.
"The Maryland Car Rally Task Force was formed to really go out and combat these large-scale illegal driving exhibition events that threaten public safety," Maryland State Police spokesperson Elena Russo previously told WJZ.
Crackdown on illegal car rallies
In June 2024, House Bill 601 went into effect, making exhibition driving and street races illegal.
The law defines exhibition driving as operating a vehicle close to a crowd and intentionally skidding, swerving while accelerating or causing the wheels to lose contact with the ground, among other actions.
Those convicted of exhibition driving could face 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. If the illegal conduct results in harm to another person, the maximum prison sentence is one year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
8 minutes ago
- CBS News
Girl injured in Perry North late-night shooting
A girl was injured in a late-night shooting in Pittsburgh's Perry North neighborhood. Pittsburgh Police say officers were called to the area of Watson Boulevard just before 10 p.m. on Thursday night for reports of shots fired. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a girl who had graze wounds to her legs and police say she was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Police say officers at the scene were told that the suspected shooter might be inside a home nearby. Officers were able to make contact with a woman inside the home, who came outside and was taken in for questioning, police said. Police say officers did a sweep of the home to make sure to other victims or suspects were inside. Detectives from the Violent Crime Unit are leading the investigation into the shooting.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Suspect arrested in series of groping attacks across San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A suspected serial groper is in police custody after allegedly sexually assaulting women in multiple San Diego neighborhoods including University Heights, North Park and Pacific Beach. Police have not released the suspect's identity at this time, but FOX 5/KUSI spoke with three victims who shared their stories in hopes of bringing the suspect to justice. Security camera footage shows a man jogging down an alley off Emerald Street in Pacific Beach last Thursday afternoon. Katie, who wants her identity concealed, said she was walking to the post office when the suspect groped her then ran off. 'I was terrified. It was fight or flight mode. I just wanted to get out alive. Very scared, ' she said. Rebecca, a second victim, who also wants to remain anonymous, described a similar run-in while out for a walk near Garfield Elementary in North Park last Wednesday. 'He got about like six feet in front of me. I realized that his shorts were pulled up to expose full genitalia and he had a smirk on his face, and I stood there shocked and stunned and at that point he slapped and grabbed my behind and very aggressively, ' she said. Rebecca said the man, who was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and AirPods, left the scene. Rebecca created an Instagram account and posted details of what happened and a description of the man to alert others. It soon became clear she wasn't alone. 'At that time, it was like two other women that came up to me and connected me with a PB incident that had pictures and surveillance, and I remember my heart dropping seeing the images and it was him,' she said. In all, Rebecca said six women have come forward. Another woman, Gretchen, who also prefers not to be shown, said the same person exposed himself before assaulting her during a walk on July 9 also in North Park. 'As he was passing me, he reached out and grabbed my butt pretty hard and then just kept running,' she said. Police confirm the suspect seen in surveillance footage was taken into custody for the same type of related crime and faces at least one felony charge. However, more charges could be coming. In the meantime, victims coping with what happened aren't staying silent. 'I want him to have consequences for his actions and just help keep everyone safe,' Gretchen said. San Diego police said the investigation is ongoing and are urging anyone who has had a similar experience in the past few months to contact their area commands or call 619-531-2000 and file a police report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fourth Milwaukee hotel worker accused in D'Vontaye Mitchell's death pleads guilty to felony murder
The last of four Milwaukee hotel workers accused of killing a man by pinning him to the ground has pleaded guilty to being a party to felony murder. Former Hyatt Hotel security guard Todd Erickson entered the plea in connection with D'Vontaye Mitchell's death in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Thursday morning, online court records indicate. Erickson was set to go on trial on August 11. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced September 3. His attorney, Kerri Cleghorn, didn't immediately return a voicemail left at her office. Erickson's plea moves a massive criminal case reminiscent of George Floyd's death a step closer to resolution. According to investigators, Mitchell ran into the Hyatt's lobby in June 2024 and went into the women's bathroom. Two women later told detectives that Mitchell tried to lock them in the bathroom. Security guard Brandon Turner pulled Mitchell out of the bathroom and together with a guest dragged him out of the lobby onto a hotel driveway. Turner, Erickson, bellhop Herbert Williamson and front desk worker Devin Johnson-Carson continued to struggle with Mitchell before taking him to the ground and piling on top of him, according to a criminal complaint. Hotel surveillance video shows Johnson-Carson holding Mitchell's legs while Erickson, Turner and Williamson held down his upper body. They kept him pinned for eight to nine minutes. By the time emergency responders arrived, Mitchell had stopped breathing. A medical examiner later determined that Mitchell was morbidly obese, suffered from heart disease, and had cocaine and methamphetamine in his system. The medical examiner concluded that he had suffocated and ruled his death a homicide. Attorneys for Mitchell's family have likened his death to the murder of Floyd, a Black man who died in 2020 after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for about nine minutes. Floyd's death sparked a national reckoning on racial relations. Mitchell was Black. Court records identify Erickson as white and Turner, Williamson and Johnson-Carson as Black. The four workers told investigators that Mitchell was strong and tried to bite Erickson, but they didn't mean to hurt him. Ambridge Hospitality, the company that manages the Hyatt, fired all four of them in July 2024. Turner, Williamson and Johnson-Carson were all charged with being a party to felony murder along with Erickson. Turner pleaded guilty to that count this past March. Williamson and Johnson-Carson both pleaded guilty to a reduced count of misdemeanor battery that same month. All three are set to be sentenced Sept. 3, the same day as Erickson.
