http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/email/news/breaking_news/15940038.htm
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Police sting puts brakes on I-485 racing
10 people arrested, 17 cars confiscated
DÁNICA COTO
[email protected]
* Slideshow | Cars seized, racers arrested
Drivers who reached speeds of 165 mph on Interstate 485 were among those targeted by police this weekend in an ongoing crackdown against street racers in Mecklenburg County.
After four months of surveillance, authorities on Sunday arrested 10 people and seized 17 souped-up cars. They began investigating after receiving complaints of more than 100 people gathering Saturday nights at the Stonecrest at Piper Glen shopping center in south Charlotte.
People would meet in the parking lot and then race on the outerbelt or Rea Road, police said.
"It's easy to say that speed kills, but these folks haven't realized that," said Maj. Dale Greene, who oversees Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's special operations unit.
The sting was called "Enjoy the Show" because big crowds gathered to watch the street racers, Greene said. It's a growing problem, with several Web sites promoting the next race, he added. Spontaneous racing also has become popular, with cars slowing to 35 mph on a highway and then racing to the next exit when someone blows a car horn three times, he said.
Most racers are men in their late teens to early 30s, police said. Those arrested early Sunday live in Charlotte, Kannapolis and Monroe and are between the ages of 18 and 22, along with one 31-year-old man who police said likely organized races.
They all face several misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and prearranged speed competition. Their cars, some valued at up to $40,000, likely will be sold at a public auction, police said.
On Sunday, officers seized several Ford Mustangs, Honda Civics, Acuras and Mitsubishis. Many had new engines and transmissions, and their owners had stripped the seats, radios and air conditioners so the cars could go faster, an undercover CMPD officer who didn't want to be identified told the Observer. One Mustang had a racing engine in it, police said.
DMV officials claimed at least six of the 17 cars because they think some of the cars contained stolen parts.
Michael King, 20, who faces one charge of prearranged speed competition and two charges of reckless driving, said he's never raced. But he added that he bought his 1994 Mustang two years ago and souped it up to make the engine sound bigger.
King said he started hanging out at Stonecrest about two years ago because of the big parking lot and the number of people showing off their cars.
"I might play around and spin a tire," he said.
About four years ago, racers in Mecklenburg County would congregate at a Home Depot along Providence Road near Ballantyne until officers ran them off. Now they've chosen Stonecrest, probably because it's close to several interstates and has a large parking lot, police said. Crosland, the company that manages Stonecrest, allowed people to gather in the parking lot so police could investigate, authorities said.
In the past two months, authorities also have arrested eight people and seized eight cars as part of the sting.
More than 70 officers with CMPD, the N.C. Highway Patrol and the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles were part of the sting. At least 60 warrants are still pending, and more car seizures are expected, Greene said.
Racers still meet at other south Charlotte shopping centers, Greene said, and police will target those in upcoming months.
Among Those Arrested Sunday
• Brian Kanabroski, 31, of Charlotte.
• José P. Hernández, 22, of Charlotte.
• Jorge Alfonso Maldonado, 21, of Monroe.
• Michael King, 20, of Kannapolis.
• Emanuel Fakhori, 20, of Charlotte.
• James Ivey, 19, of Kannapolis.
• Thomas Blakney, 19, of Kannapolis.
• Timothy Roberts, 19, of Charlotte.
• Michael Clontz, 19, of Monroe.
• Vincent Aupied, 18, of Charlotte.
