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The NYPD is searching for a group seen on video damaging three police vehicles over the weekend in Ozone Park, Queens.
The footage circulating on social media shows the group approach one marked SUV and two unmarked cars that were blocking the street with their emergency lights on. Some in the crowd are seen using traffic cones to shatter the windshields, and some are even seen climbing on top of the vehicles.
Police said it happened shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday at Rockaway Boulevard and 97th Avenue.
“Because it’s on video and because it’s on social media, it emboldens them to get more followers by doing this,” said Sam Esposito, president of the Ozone Park Residents Block Association. “They’re bringing their own cars, their own ATVs, their own motorcycles, whatever vehicles they have. They come. They show it off. They take over the street.”
He wrote a letter on behalf of the group to state and local officials, citing a pattern of illegal car meetups in the area.
“Once again, our Ozone Park community is under siege by unruly groups who believe they can take over our streets, taunt residents, and openly challenge the NYPD. It is deeply troubling that these reckless gatherings are becoming a recurring issue, with participants flagrantly blocking roads, recording their activities, and broadcasting them on social media,” Esposito wrote.
The group is asking the city Department of Transportation to install a center median in certain locations to deter gathering.
The DOT told CBS New York, “NYC DOT is dedicated to making our streets safer and reducing reckless driving on our roads. We will review the community’s requests.”
City Councilmember Joann Ariola joins the association in calling for a dedicated tactical response team.
“This is something very similar to what was happening and terrorizing our city a couple of summers ago with dirt bikes and four-wheelers, and we really do need to put together the same task force that we did then to stop this behavior,” she said.
CBS News New York has covered several car meetups over the years throughout New York City and on Long Island, where spectators can now face criminal charges.
Investigators released photos of the people they’re searching for in this latest incident. Some are wearing neon safety vests, and many have their faces covered with some type of mask.
Police said the suspects left the scene in several vehicles. They are wanted for reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.
Anyone with any information about the case is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website. All calls are kept confidential.
Renee Anderson is a digital producer at CBS New York, where she covers breaking news and other local stories. Before joining the team in 2016, Renee worked at WMUR-TV.
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