Police disrupt multiple ‘illegal gatherings’ of car rallies in DC area
Police in Maryland and Virginia are investigating multiple car rallies in the D.C. area with reports of crowds of up to 300 people taking part in the “illegal” gatherings.
Maryland State Police say that officers started breaking up gatherings around 10 p.m. on Saturday through 4 a.m. Sunday.
They said the participants were taking part in “exhibition driving, disorderly behavior, and roadway shutdowns.”
Fairfax County police told WTOP that shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Sunday they responded to the area Dolly Madison Boulevard and Georgetown Pike in McLean for reports of “reckless driving” in the area.
When they arrived, they said about 15 vehicles were a part of the “car meetup.”
Katie Watts, a public information officer with Fairfax County Police Department said the Fairfax 1 police helicopter also responded to the scene before the cars turned around and headed back to Maryland. She said that they were in Virginia for about an hour.
During the time that the cars were in Maryland, Watts said that the group left a stolen car that came from an owner in Baltimore. She said they are currently investigating the stolen car and have not made any arrests so far.
Maryland State Police said they made two arrests in the car rally in Camp Springs including Jossel Joan Maldonado Sanabria, 19, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and the passenger in his car who is a 17-year-old from Falls Church, Virginia.
Both people were charged with possession of a loaded firearm and taken to the Prince George’s County Detention Center for processing, according to Maryland State Police.
The Maryland Car Rally Task Force said they responded to rallies at the following locations:
- 15606 Emerald Way in Bowie
- 6210 Allentown Road in Camp Springs
- 8582 Fenton Street in Silver Spring
- 9500 Marlboro Pike in Upper Marlboro
- 6050 Fallard Drive in Upper Marlboro
- 7705 Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase
- 2600 Marble Court in Forestville
- 1415 Magellan Road in Hanover
The Maryland Car Rally Task Force is comprised of the Maryland State Police, and police departments from Prince George’s, Montgomery, Howard, Baltimore counties, Baltimore City and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.