Castellanos

Arnold Castellanos, a member of the LAPD’s Street Racing Task Force, said the first-of-its-kind prosecution is a necessary step.

“Street takeovers have evolved into so much more than just cars doing donuts. Over time ‘car clubs’ have formed, these car clubs ‘compete’ against each other to see who has the better drivers and can ‘bully’ other drivers out of the pit,” Castellanos said.

Castellanos said Quintana’s account would post Instagram stories with “symbols or abbreviations which coincided with intersections allowing for all to respond in a flash mob fashion and overwhelm the location.”

Castellanos said people who attend takeovers have a “Grand Theft Auto” mentality — invoking the popular video game franchise where players can turn pixelated versions of Los Angeles, Miami and New York into violent lawless playgrounds — “where individuals believe they are untouchable and do not fear law enforcement or the criminal justice system.”

Prosecutors also charged Graciela Castellanos, 37, of Van Nuys with felony assault of a child under 8 years old, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.