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A shirtless man was filmed storming out of his California home early Thursday morning carrying a machete as he tried to confront a street-racing gang that was apparently keeping him awake.
The unidentified man was barefoot and wearing just basketball shorts when he was filmed holding what appeared to be a machete at the intersection of Haster Street and Orangewood Avenue in Anaheim shortly after midnight.
He seemed to want to confront the large crowd that gathered at the intersection to watch as at least three young men in a black Chevy spun donuts and did burnouts outside his house while a crowd gathered on the streets to watch.
But ultimately the man turned away and walked back to his house without incident.
Soon, though, KABC reports, a fist fight broke out at the same intersection.
Police said they received about a dozen calls about the street takeover last night, and arrived just seven minutes after the first phone call — but the crowd had already dispersed, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Authorities said there were no injuries or accidents reported in the neighborhood, though resident Jorge Rodriguez said it was the second time in a matter of weeks he’s been awoken by these so-called street takeovers.
A man was caught on camera holding what appeared to be a machete at the intersection of Haster Street and Orangewood Avenue in Anaheim shortly after midnight
The man seemed to want to confront at least three men in a black Chevy who were spinning donuts and did burnouts outside his house while a crowd gathered on the streets to watch
Meanwhile, two other street takeovers were reported elsewhere in Anaheim that night, and two others took place in nearby Santa Ana.
They all involved the same people, a photographer who recorded video of the events told KRON.
In one of the takeovers in Santa Ana, KRON reports, vehicles started leaving as police arrived on the scene. They were then able to issue a handful of citations.
‘I would urge anyone who is coming out to these things to rethink what they’re doing,’ Anaheim Police Sergeant Shane Carringer told KTLA.
‘They’re causing thousands of dollars in damage, they’re needlessly interfering with the lives of people who are just trying to get up and go to work the next morning and don’t want to be subjected to this noise and this sort of behavior.’
Street takeovers, also known as side shows, have surged in popularity in Southern California since the COVID pandemic left roads empty, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In LA, the Times reports, there were 500 street takeovers in the first six months of 2021, but during the same time this year, the number surged to 705.
They have resulted in six deaths over the past eight months, including one of a teenage boy, and the LAPD is now working to crack down on these events.
In an operation conducted from Friday through Saturday, the LAPD said it arrested 40 people and impounded dozens of cars.
The operation also led to the arrest of one person wanted for murder and another wanted in a hit-and-run, the Times reports.
But police say the takeovers, in which spectators and dare devils block an intersection to watch a stunt show, are often too large for them to contend with.
‘If you really have two patrol cars out there, you can’t do anything with 200 other cars on the runway,’ L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Michael Downing told the Times.
He added: ‘We’ve had officers attacked, we’ve had patrol cars crashed into, we’ve had people get run over while cars are leaving.
‘Our hands are tied by our limited resources, and we can’t really deal with the crowds.’
The LA city attorney’s office is now also deliberating on whether to enact penalties and fines against those who share cryptic invitations to these street takeovers on Instagram.
In Anaheim, meanwhile, it is already a misdemeanor to even attend one of these takeovers.