San Jose police say new tactic helped bust massive weekend sideshow with 720+ citations
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- In the South Bay, more than 700 people were cited by police during a San Jose sideshow over the weekend.
Monday, investigators spoke out for the first time about how they stopped the illegal activity.
It all happened at the intersection of Monterey Rd. and Branham Ln., a moderately busy intersection that was overrun with cars and traffic Saturday night due to the sideshow.
"Sideshows are absolutely an epidemic within our communities, regionally and locally," said Brian Shab, Deputy Chief of the San Jose Police Department's Bureau of Field Operations.
VIDEO: 720 citations issued, 19 cars impounded following San Jose sideshow, police say
He says police were able to put a stop to the Saturday night sideshow that was made up of hundreds of cars.
"We were able to successfully employ a tactic that we have developed, where we essentially blocked them in," Shab said, "That required over 100 officers, sergeants and lieutenants to be able to do safely and effectively."
Police say they blocked in over 500 vehicles and issued over 720 citations - 82 of them were juvenile citations.
They impounded 19 vehicles that were left at the scene, two were stolen and will be released to their owners. The cost for the owners of the 17 other cars to be taken out of impound could be between $3,000 to $4,000.
MORE: San Jose police issue nearly 500 citations at sideshow involving 200+ cars
Rene Karimian is the father of a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old. He says that when spectators started running, some ran in to his apartment complex.
"They knocked one by one on the resident's door and they (ran) away," he said.
He says he's called the cops multiple times over the years to report sideshows and says he's glad to that the police tactic worked.
"I lived here for seven years," he said, "I never saw this before, so this time looks like they've been serious. Hopefully they continue this."
VIDEO: How these Bay Area cities are transforming intersections to crack down on illegal sideshows
Police say they will continue their efforts to enforce the law to help keep neighbors like Karimian and his family safe.
"These (sideshows) are not young kids just coming out to have fun with vehicles and show their cars off," Shab said, "These are extremely violent events, the violence that that accompanies the sideshows includes assaults, stabbings, shootings, assaults on officers."
Despite the success of the police operation, Karimian says he still questions keeping his family in their current home.
"I'm not feeling safe here," he said, "You know, that's not right."
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