Fairfield police arrest drivers doing dangerous stunts in parking-lot takeovers in Connecticut
FAIRFIELD, Connecticut (WABC) -- Police in Connecticut announced arrests after a parking-lot takeover last month.
The parking lot turned into a dangerous car-stunt show when people did donuts and caused chaos outside of a Stop and Shop supermarket.
The Fairfield Police Department has produced and posted its own video highlighting to others that not only are the ringleaders under arrest, but their vehicles have been seized.
"We are going to be strategic in our approach in how we investigate these crimes and locate and identify the perpetrators and then we are going to seize your cars," said Chief Robert Kalamaras of the Fairfield Police Department.
The parking lot of the Stop And Shop on Villa Road is still scorched even though it's been a month since the incident.
Patrol officers noticed an influx of vehicles arriving in town.
Rather than have a couple of cruisers race to the area and risk vehicles speeding to get away, officers began collecting information and then moved in.
"Once we came in as a group, I think they knew that we meant business and our officers using their technology in their patrol vehicles were able to capture the suspect's identity," said Michael Paris of the Fairfield Police Department said.
A task force arrested the alleged ringleaders and the mother of one of the suspects who allegedly tried to block officers from accessing one of the cars.
Street takeovers have been a particularly troubling trend in Connecticut. In Derby, fireworks were launched at police officers.
Last winter, holiday shoppers were trapped in their cars by a flash mob of young people.
The State's Attorney says reckless behavior has played a role in some of Connecticut's 300 fatal accidents last year.
"Collisions resulted from speed from recklessness and that's an intolerable number that's almost one person a day," Connecticut State Attorney Joseph Corradino said.
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