Dozens of supercar owners in Southern California are revved up after their cars were seized by cops when a purported photo shoot turned into a police sting.
The Los Angeles Police Department Street Racing Task Force said it impounded a total of 72 vehicles on Sunday with tons of drivers being issued citations for trespassing following a meet-up inside the Los Angeles River Channel near Cypress Park.
Two people were busted for a felony of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle and a total of 83 loitering misdemeanors were issued to drivers, cops said.
Video posted on social media showed the massive gathering of drivers of the hot rods lining the river channel.
There was also footage of LAPD on scene issuing tickets and speaking to drivers.
Aerial footage also showed the souped-up cars being loaded on the back of tow beds.
It comes after a flyer surfaced on social media promoting a meetup photo shoot at the 400 block of North San Fernando Road.
Some of the drivers said they had no idea it was illegal to be inside the river channel.
“Some people are getting their cars held for 30 days. That’s around $3,000 to get them out,” Alexander Pimienta told FOX 11 after his motorcycle was impounded.
“And we’re all getting cited with trespassing.”
“We weren’t doing anything illegal, we weren’t doing anything stupid. … They towed my motorcycle, they’re towing trucks, they’re towing over 50 cars.” Pimenta told CBS.
He admitted that there were some drivers doing burnouts but said they were long gone by the time cops showed up.
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Another person, Angel Rodriguez, admitted some of the drivers “started going crazy for some reason,” but insisted he was there for the photo shoot.
“It was just supposed to be pictures,” Rodriguez, the owner of a Mustang that was impounded, added.
“Yeah. So that’s what I was here for, just for pictures.”
It is illegal to drive a car into the LA River channel because it is a designated flood control facility.
“The [LA River Recreation] Zone does not include the remaining banks or the existing bike path or the maintenance road on the banks above the river channel,” the LA River Recreation Zone page read.
Exactly how long the vehicles will be impounded is unclear.
The California Post reached out to the LAPD for more information.
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