Maryland police shut down a dozen illegal car rallies

BALTIMORE, MD—Police in Maryland say they dismantled a dozen unlawful exhibition driving events over the weekend in various parts of the state.

Maryland State Police said in a news release that members from the Maryland Car Rally Task Force, working in collaboration with the Maryland State Police Special Operations Division, and allied police agencies stopped the events that were happening Saturday night in Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Baltimore counties.

Police said up to 500 participants gathered in parking lots attempting to shut down intersections throughout the region.

Officers responded to the following locations at the approximate times:

• 8:00 p.m.: 4732-5400 Auth Pl, Suitland, MD
• 8:25 p.m.: 4900 Beech Rd, Temple Hills, MD
• 8:48 p.m.: 1811 Cabin Branch Dr, Hyattsville, MD
• 9:25 p.m.: 4870-488 Walden Lane, Lanham, MD
• 10:34 p.m.: 4041 Powder Mill Rd, Beltsville, MD
• 10:58 p.m.: 9600 Ft Meade Rd, Laurel, MD
• 11:26 p.m.: 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD
• 11:40 p.m.: 6821 Benjamin Franklin Dr, Columbia, MD
• 12:01 a.m.: 7500 Connelly Dr, Hanover, MD
• 12:04 a.m.: Route 29 N., Howard County, MD
• 12:34 a.m.: 1101 Wilson Dr, Baltimore, MD
• 12:58 a.m.: 2704 Washington Blvd, Baltimore, MD

Police say arrests were made that evening with additional participants having been charged from prior events. The individuals arrested and/or charged include:

• Jonathan Alonso Berrios-Cabrera, 18, of Arlington, Virginia — charged with fleeing and eluding police, negligent and reckless driving, and other traffic related offenses.
• Cregory Curry, 27, of Washington, D.C., — charged on a criminal summons for exhibition driving, as well as, fleeing and eluding police.
• Keanu Grissett, 23, of Waldorf, Maryland — charged by the Laurel City Police Department with theft of a motor vehicle and display of a stolen license plate. Additionally, the Laurel City Police Department arrested Raquan Stephon West, 28, of Laurel, Maryland, on outstanding warrants.
• Jamari McLaurin, 25, of Newport News, Virginia and Malek Omaryi Saviion Kingsberry, 26, of Hampton, Virginia — charged by the Anne Arundel County Police Department with several firearm-related offenses.

The Maryland Car Rally task force was established in June 2024 to address exhibition driving events, known as “takeovers,” that involve blocking public roads for dangerous stunts, disrupting traffic, causing property damage, and posing risks to the public.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.