56 People Arrested In Inland Empire Sideshow Bust

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Street takeovers and sideshows are under increasing scrutiny due largely to public complaints about late-night tire screeches and the residual rubber skids that mark intersections and roadways across the Inland Empire.

Street takeovers, or sideshows, are gatherings where participants engage in disruptive and dangerous driving, including stunts. The events can draw large crowds.

A local sheriff's station has had enough after one of its deputies encountered a sideshow en route to a call for service. The deputy's patrol vehicle was attacked, leading to an investigation and 56 arrests.

The investigation was ignited May 11 when a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy based out of the agency's Highland station was responding to a call and came upon a crowd and street takeover at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Victoria Avenue in Highland.

When the deputy tried to break up the gathering, spectators surrounded the marked sheriff’s patrol vehicle and vandalized it, damaging the windshield and body panels, according to the sheriff's department.

There were no injuries reported, but the incident did not sit well with the Highland Sheriff's Station. An investigation was launched and it was determined that participants in the alleged melee were from car clubs across the High Desert area, according to the sheriff's department.

"The car clubs posted videos on social media showing sideshow events performed in stolen vehicles," the law enforcement agency said. "The participants openly displayed firearms as they performed a sideshow on private property in Adelanto."

Search warrants were served in Victorville, leading to the recovery of stolen firearms and one stolen vehicle, the sheriff's department reported.

Armed with information, on June 1 the sheriff's department launched what it called "Operation Consequences." Deputies from across High Desert sheriff's stations honed in on an abandoned Adelanto property where a sideshow was set to take place. Car clubs entered the private property and performed stunts before investigators swooped in. Participants and spectators were nabbed as they tried to flee, according to the sheriff's department.

The operation resulted in the arrests of 37 adults and 19 juveniles. The adults were taken to the High Desert Detention Center and, after being processed, were cited and released. The juveniles were taken to the Victorville City Sheriff’s Station and issued a citation and then released to their families.

In total, 23 vehicles were towed and a stolen Chevrolet Camaro was recovered.

It's not clear whether investigators linked any of the arrestees to the May 11 incident, but Sheriff Shannon Dicus did offer a message: "This type of recklessness won’t be tolerated in San Bernardino County. Arrests will be assured, and cars will be impounded if these street takeovers continue."

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact the Victorville Police Station at 760-241-2911 or the sheriff’s dispatch at 760-956-5001.

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