A suspect arrested and three teenagers detained in connection with a street invasion project

Police have arrested a person suspected of organizing planned takeovers of several San Diego intersections last weekend, including one at the north end of UC San Diego in La Jolla, authorities said Wednesday June 5.

Three adolescents were arrested as part of the planned takeover, according to the San Diego police.

Takeovers, also known as sideshows, are often large gatherings where people do stunts such as drifts and “doughnuts.”

SDPD Detective Sgt. John Ampol said a group of about 200 people attempted to target five intersections around the city on June 1, but the department responded and prevented the group from carrying out the plan. One of these intersections was Genesee Avenue and Science Center Drive, at the northern end of the UCSD, west of the Interstate 5.

The group managed to take over an intersection that day in Spring Valley, causing an estimated $13,800 in damage to the roadway, Ampol said.

Officers at Fashion Valley Road and Riverwalk Drive, the site of one of the planned takeovers, reported hearing gunshots as a Kia sedan sped away from the scene. The vehicle was arrested and three teenagers were arrested, police said.

A loaded handgun, with no serial number, was recovered from the vehicle containing a 32-round magazine, Ampol said. Spent shell casings were also found in the vehicle, he said. One of the teens was enrolled in Juvenile Hall and the others were released to their family members.

The person suspected of being the leader of the takeovers was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime of vandalism, display of speed, reckless driving, facilitating a display of speed and obstructing the arrest, Ampol said.

Other participants, including other possible coordinators, were sought after, police said.

– Jolla Light staff contributed to this report. ◆