HOUSTON – Three of Harris County’s top law-enforcement officials passed on a warning Thursday to those, primarily young teens and college students, who are planning street and parking lot “takeovers” in Harris County.
The warnings come after several people were injured in Austin – including a police officer – when large groups of people blocked intersections two weekends ago to race vehicles, do “doughnuts,” set fires and light fireworks.
And last weekend in Houston, there was a similar event involving 200 cars, which resulted in multiple arrests, including one for felony child endangerment.
District Attorney Kim Ogg, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Assistant Houston Police Chief Wyatt Martin and DPS Regional Director Gerald Brown said the street takeovers are extremely dangerous to participants and nearby motorists and that the local response to such events will be swift and aggressive.
“These are people who clearly value their cars more than they value the safety of motorists around them,” Ogg said. “So our message to them is simple and clear. You will be arrested and prosecuted. And if you take over our streets, we will take over your cars.”
State law allows the DA’s office to pursue the forfeiture of vehicles that are used in organized criminal activity. The office has seized more than 200 vehicles involved in street racing or parking lot meetups in the past two years, and Ogg said her office will continue to use the law aggressively.
Sheriff Gonzalez said the meetups are oftentimes organized in minutes and can attract hundreds of people. He said, “ordinary motorists and pedestrians risk their lives if they stumble upon the chaos.”
Gonzalez added that cooperation is the key to successful intervention.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder in our efforts to double down on our mission to keep racing on the tracks and off our streets,” he said. “Don’t risk your life or the lives of others. The short-lived adrenaline and thrill aren’t worth a lifetime of heartache and devastation if an innocent life is lost. Last year, our Traffic Crimes Unit made 400 arrests, 49 guns were taken off the streets, 30 vehicles were seized, and 17 stolen vehicles were recovered. We cannot do this alone. This truly is a collaborative effort on all fronts. It takes all of us doing our part to address this serious issue.”
Gov. Greg Abbott launched a task force in February after several cars and trucks did burnouts and spun donuts in the middle of various intersections across Austin. The Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested and handed at least seven people criminal charges ranging from evading arrest to reckless driving to unlawful possession of a weapon, the Texas Tribune reported. More people are expected to face charges, according to APD Police Chief Joseph Chacon.
In 2020, KPRC 2 Investigates dived into several street racing incidents across Houston and how they put innocent drivers and families at risk.
The crime of racing on a highway in the Texas Transportation Code (Section 545.420) can be a misdemeanor if no one is hurt or up to a second-degree felony (two to 20 years in prison) if someone is seriously injured or killed.