Street racing continues to be a problem in Bernalillo County as law enforcement officials work to crack down on the illegal activity, KOB 4 reported.
Jude Gutierrez, 20, is the latest suspected street racer arrested by Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputies. Gutierrez is charged with racing on highways and aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer.
According to court documents and the KOB 4 report, Gutierrez sped away from a sheriff deputy who tried to pull him over after he was spotted by a Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) chopper racing another car on Montgomery near Eubank May 14.
Gutierrez, according to the complaint, eventually stopped eluding deputies because “he did not want to get in a car crash.” He admitted he was racing a red corvette when he was spotted. His arrest comes a week after street racers took over the intersection of University and Indian School to do donuts.
A red mustang participating in the illegal shutdown of the intersection eluded authorities when they arrived, but BCSO later arrested the alleged driver Nicholar Mahmoudi and his passenger Odalys Pena after they reportedly attempted to hide in an apartment complex, according to the KOB 4 report. Law enforcement officials believe social media has something to do with street racing.
“They kind of relish in the fact that they are taking videos of themselves taking over an intersection and drag racing and then they post those videos,” BCSO undersheriff Larry Koren told KOB 4.
Jose Madujano, 18, was also arrested last week for disorderly conduct and obstruction charges. Dash cam video, according to KOB 4, showed Madujano trying to block a deputy from breaking up the illegal event.