Illegal Street Racing In Southwest RivCo Eyed By Cops And Residents

SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Illegal street racing is not new. The potentially deadly "sport" goes back decades.

Despite the sometimes tragic outcomes, the pastime continues and it has some local residents concerned about the safety of innocent bystanders.

In an online watch group for Temecula's Vintage Hills, this message was recently posted: "Did any of you folks hear that street racing burn out this morning at 1:30 a.m. and then the crash moments after he burned out? It was at the Meadows Parkway and Rancho Vista stoplight."

The post generated a lot of activity — and worry — about public safety. Community members grumbled about other spots, like Butterfield Stage Road and Pauba Road at Via Torres, where street racing, burnouts and donuts allegedly take place.

The activity is certainly not isolated to Temecula. A drive along Murrieta's quiet and curving Calle Del Oso Del Oro, for example, reveals donut skidmarks at wide intersections — something found at other big crossways around the region.

Temecula Police Chief Chris Durham told Patch in an email that his city is not seeing an increase in reported street racing, but he said other areas of the county are. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has established a countywide street racing team that monitors trends and social media, and targets events to head off the dangerous activity, he explained.

" ... street racing is a problem," Durham added. "It’s dangerous, especially the street takeovers that occur."

Takeovers, sometimes called sideshows, can involve hundreds of spectators and many vehicles. Participants target specific streets, intersections — or even freeways — and block traffic so they can do their stunts.

"Street racing is illegal, and dangerous, where someone could be potentially be killed," California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Lassig told Patch.

Lassig serves out of the CHP's Temecula Area Office, and he said his agency has not seen an uptick in street racing calls, but "when we observe it, we take strict enforcement action upon it."

A quick internet search turns up dozens of recent news articles of property damage and people killed during street racing or sideshows that occurred beyond Temecula's borders. Sadly, Thursday morning Pomona police were investigating a crash believed to be caused by illegal street racing. In that case, an innocent driver was seriously injured and his female passenger killed.

A new state law that hit the books Jan. 1 allows California authorities to charge a driver with vehicular manslaughter if someone dies as a result of a sideshow or street racing. Senate Bill 1472, otherwise known as Ryan's Law, is named after 16-year-old Ryan Koeppel of Encino who was tragically killed in an Aug. 6, 2020, crash as he was leaving a driving range following a night of hitting golf balls with friends. His death, according to police, was caused by an "extreme speeder."

Reina Jackson, a Menifee mom, knows the pain of losing a child to street racing. On May 28, 2021, her 20-year-old son, Ajanni "AJ" Cabrera was killed. According to the California Highway Patrol, the young man was driving "at a high rate of speed" on Interstate 215 in Menifee when he lost control of his car and slammed into a concrete barrier. He was not wearing a safety belt and was ejected. He died at the scene.

As a result of her loss and grief, Jackson formed the nonprofit "The AJ Project," to "slam on the brakes" of illegal street racing and reckless driving.

Back in Temecula, Durham said street racing incidents that get reported are investigated. Residents need to call police when they see racing or hear burnouts. Cameras are installed citywide across Temecula, and when street racing is called in the systems can be an excellent tool in identifying suspects.

Like Jackson, however, Durham said parents need to set expectations and hold their children accountable. Young people are more likely to engage in the dangerous driving behavior for many reasons, including fame, thrill, fun, media influence and sometimes anger, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Parents can set good examples for kids with their own driving habits, Durham explained. "Parents can often use their own experiences — and frustrations — as teaching experiences to their children."