NYPD Arrests Suspect in Fiery Drag Racing Street Takeover
What to Know
- A 22-year-old man was arrested for participating in a dangerous Queens street takeover involving drag racing and stunts.
- Police seized two cars involved in the event, which attracted roughly 100 participants and caused public safety concerns.
- Several individuals are wanted for criminal mischief after jumping on police vehicles and fleeing the scene at high speeds.
NEW YORK -- A 22-year-old man arrested for taking part in a wild drag racing takeover of a Queens neighborhood smiled and laughed cockily as he was led out of an NYPD precinct in cuffs Thursday.
Asil Assaidi was identified as the driver of a blue Infiniti recorded doing donuts and burning rubber early Saturday near Eliot Ave. and 69th St. in Middle Village.
Cops charged Assaidi with reckless endangerment. His arraignment in Queens Criminal Court was pending.
The suspect made no comments as he was led out of the 104th Precinct stationhouse and placed in an NYPD vehicle. But he flashed a smile to his friends, who were also grinning, gathered on the sidewalk outside the police station to greet him — and to video his perp walk on their phones.
“Too often there are no consequences in the criminal justice system for this type of outrageous behavior,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on X. “Clearly, it’s time for that to change. My hope and expectation is that Asil Assaidi will be held fully accountable for his actions.”
Assaidi lives in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, according to cops.
Councilman Phil Wong (D- Queens) hailed the arrest, calling the street takeovers “reckless, dangerous and completely unacceptable.”
“(This arrest) is an important step toward holding those responsible accountable,” Wong said in a statement.
“(Assaidi) is not the only one who will face consequences. More arrests are coming, and they should. Anyone who participated in this chaos and endangered lives must be held accountable.”
Two cars involved in the “Fast & Furious”-style takeover were found and seized by police on Tuesday, officials said.
The cars — Assaidi’s blue Infiniti and a purple Infiniti — were captured on video participating in the meetup, which involved roughly 100 cars drag racing, doing donuts and other stunts around a ring of fire set with accelerant at the intersection.
When cops arrived to break up the scene around 1:40 a.m. most of the participants scattered. But three people jumped on the hood of a police car, breaking its windshield, before piling into a black Nissan with no license plates and zooming north on 69th St. They are wanted for criminal mischief.
Earlier that night, the same group of people tried to hold a car meetup in another Queens neighborhood not too far away but police shut it down, Wong said.
“These issues are serious. This is a public safety issue,” Wong said earlier this week. “When you set a road on fire, when you close down a street, that’s criminal.”
In addition to the people who jumped on the cop car, police are looking for other drivers and passengers, including three people who posed for a photo wearing keffiyehs obscuring their faces, with only their eyes visible, who were in a silver BMW X3 with a Connecticut license plate, #BW98494, and three people in sweatsuits who were in a white BMW sedan with no plates.
All are wanted for reckless endangerment for driving with “depraved indifference to human life” and “fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed,” police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
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