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Authorities cracking down on street racing in Tampa Bay area
Aaron Mesmer reports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The owner of a motorcycle and the man who police say was driving it more than 100 miles per hour when he hit and killed a teen have been arrested. The child’s father was arrested last week on charges on child neglect and being a spectator at a street racing event.
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, Carlos Fernandez, the driver of the motorcycle, and Allan Boreland Jr., the owner of the motorcycle, turned themselves in to the Pinellas County Jail Wednesday evening.
Mugshots of Carlos Fernandez and Allan Boreland Jr. courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.
"It's one of the most horrific scenes I've dealt with in my 19-year career, and it's something that's completely avoidable and preventable," said Sgt. Michael Schade.
Investigators say a crowd had gathered on 28th Street North near 110th Avenue North for an illegal street racing event the night of January 28.
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According to police, Johnny Julio Martin brought his 13-year-old son, Ethan Julio Martin, to watch the illegal street races. Investigators say at 12:35 a.m., the teen crossed 28th Street into the path of a motorcycle traveling more than 100 miles per hour. The motorcycle hit and killed Ethan and injured a bystander.
Johnny J. Martin (St. Pete PD)
Fernandez is facing charges of culpable negligence-manslaughter, vehicular homicide, reckless driving, and street racing. Boreland has been charged with culpable negligence-manslaughter and being a spectator at an illegal street racing event.
Martin was arrested last week on charges of child neglect and being a spectator at a street racing event.
MORE: HCSO touts more arrests in countywide street racing crackdown
Sgt. Schade said the latest arrests came as law enforcement on both sides of Tampa Bay learned about another illegal street race in Tampa planned for the upcoming weekend. Police shared the flyer with FOX 13 in which organizers dubbed the event, "Tampa Rideout."
"We're going to be out there. Whether you're a participant, a spectator, a coordinator, we're going to find you," said Sgt. Schade.
Investigators believe the race that led to Ethan's death may have involved people who started in Tampa earlier in the evening in an event organizers called, "Tampa vs. Everybody," in which people came in from other counties and states to participate. Police have said that was planned to coincide with Gasparilla weekend.
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These types of illegal car meet-ups aren't a new phenomenon in the Tampa Bay area. Police said these events have been going on for years, but they're exploding in size and frequency in recent years. Participants race, take over intersections and perform dangerous stunts while dozens, sometimes hundreds, of spectators watch from a few feet away.
"It's more prevalent now because of the social media aspect of it. It's a much easier to get a message out," said Sgt. Schade.
Florida lawmakers passed a law last year that made street racing a misdemeanor and allowed investigators to use videos posted online as evidence to make arrests.
READ: Proposal could make it easier for law enforcement to seize vehicles used in illegal street races
Sen. Jason Pizzo, who crafted the law, told FOX 13 last week that he plans to propose toughening those penalties during the upcoming legislative session in March.
Pizzo wants to make street racing and intersection takeovers felonies with increased penalties for repeat offenders. He also wants to allow law enforcement to conduct mass seizures of vehicles used in these events.