2 arrested after Richmond police officer hurt in hit-and-run at sideshow

RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- Two 18 year-olds are in jail in Martinez as police accuse the boyfriend/ girlfriend team of ramming into a police officer who was trying to break up a sideshow early Sunday in Richmond. The police chief defines a sideshow as a "flash mob of reckless driving. "

At 1 a.m. Sunday morning 50 cars spinning donuts in Richmond alarmed neighbors as police tried to disperse the crowd.

A dark sedan slammed head on into a police officer on foot, throwing him up on the hood and into the street.

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The car was abandoned nearby. Richmond police chief Allwyn Brown says the registered owner of the impounded car showed up at a South San Francisco location trying to report the car stolen later Sunday afternoon.

Police moved in and arrested the driver, 18-year-old Juan Vargas and 18-year-old Genesis Diaz-Castaneda, both from the Central Valley.

Vargas could face charges of attempted murder of a police officer and assault with a deadly weapon. They both are accused of conspiracy and filing a false police report.

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Sideshows are happening more frequently cross the Bay Area. Police say in Richmond in the past, sideshows and drag racing have been problems in industrial zones. But this latest event happened at a busy residential intersection along Regatta Boulevard just two blocks from the police station. Police have plans to crack down.

They intend to keep a more proactive social media presence to gather intelligence on when sideshows may break out and respond quickly when they do, using technology to document the license plates of cars that are participating.

The injured officer was treated for broken bones and head trauma and later released.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Richmond police department's traffic unit Sgt. Pomeroy at (510) 621-1578.