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On August 25, 2022, an Anaheim man was caught on camera threatening participants of a street takeover with a machete. Shortly after midnight, a large crowd had gathered at Haster Street and Orangewood Avenue in Anaheim, one of the many recent takeovers that have left neighborhoods sleepless and disturbed.
In a video recorded by a witness, a shirtless and barefoot man, presumably a resident of the neighborhood, could be seen wielding what appeared to be a machete and threatening the crowd. Fed up with the constant disturbance in the otherwise quiet locality, the resident left his house to voice his complaints. According to the Anaheim Police Department, they had received multiple calls from the neighborhood regarding the takeover.
Watch the video below
Reportedly, the same group of people were behind several other takeovers that took place on Thursday night in Anaheim and Santa Ana. While no arrests have yet been made in connection with the overnight incidents, authorities were able to issue a handful of citations in one of the Santa Ana takeovers.
Anaheim Police Sgt. Shane Carringer told local media KTLA:
"I would urge anyone who is coming out to these things or is encouraging these things to rethink what they’re doing. They’re causing thousands of dollars in damage, they’re needlessly interfering with the lives of people who are just trying to get up and go to work the next morning and don’t want to be subjected to this noise and this sort of behavior."
Anaheim added to the growing list of American neighborhoods plagued by midnight street takeovers
The pandemic lockdowns have had far reaching consequences for both the individual and society. Quiet American neighborhoods have found their peace disturbed by rowdy behavior such as street takeovers and acts of vandalism.
On Thursday alone, Southern Californian neighborhoods were victims of four different incidents of street takeovers, including dangerous vehicle tricks and loud noises.
Southern California has recently been plagued with such street takeovers that turn loud within minutes. Alondra Alguino, who lives just off the Haster and Orangewood intersection, told CBS News:
"It was loud. It kinda felt like sometimes the car was gonna go into your apartment."
Another resident, Abdi Santander, told CBS:
"It was pretty annoying because I have school tomorrow and other people have work."
His brother Jafet wondered whether this would be brought to an end.
According to CBS, the Los Angeles Police Department conducted an operation specifically targeting street takeovers. This resulted in 40 arrests, more than 80 citations issued and 40 cars towed. The arrests were made on suspicion of gun violations, an attempted murder warrant and one case of hit-and-run.
The newly opened 6th Street Viaduct Bridge became a site for big street takeovers where massive crowds gathered to watch and film as cars did burnouts and donuts.
The LAPD has made taking strict action against street takeovers a priority.
