PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police say they have arrested a 10th person, and they’re looking for another, in connection with a series of illegal and dangerous car meets that tore through the city on the night of Sept. 21 and into the next morning.
Ezra Walker, 20, of Enola, near Harrisburg, was taken into custody last week Thursday. Police say he was driving a blue Camaro that was seen drifting and doing donuts at 25th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue that night.
Police inspector Ray Evers says an arrest warrant has also been issued for 19-year-old Samuel Merrill Hoffman of Reading.
“He was involved in sharing content. He monetized what he was doing, so he was making money off of being a promoter,” Evers said.
“We found out through the other promoter we arrested that they were making money off of actually selling lists of where the car meets were, and also selling advertising.”
Police say several far-ranging illegal car meets were conducted all over the city that night, drawing hundreds of people at a time to watch or participate in racing, drifting, and other reckless activities. The night featured car crashes, vandalism, trash fires, fireworks and attacks on police.
Evers says police have impounded 32 cars and issued 45 search warrants for social media content from the series of car meets that September night. He says the investigation is continuing.