The Albuquerque Police Department’s Traffic Unit arrested an 18-year-old Friday night following a street racing event in the southeast part of the city.
On Saturday, September 14, Traffic Officers were working a street racing operation. A call came in regarding vehicles gathered in the area of 2305 Renard Place SE. Witnesses stated drivers were racing and doing donuts in the area.
When officers arrived, they observed a large group of vehicles in the parking lot that began to leave the area. Officers noticed a silver Chrysler 300 with distinct dark-covered taillights driving at a high rate of speed from the area.
While the driver turned on Yale, an officer tried to stop the vehicle by turning on their emergency equipment due to the driver's reckless driving. The male driver, later identified as Joaquin Keanu Carlos White, 18, did not stop and fled the traffic stop, losing traction on the roadway.
White turned off his tail lights as he fled at a high rate of speed onto University Boulevard before then driving normally after turning on Rio Bravo. As White began heading to his residence, officers attempted another traffic stop to which he complied and was arrested.
White was charged with Reckless Driving and Aggravated Fleeing. Video from his arrest can be found here.
Prior to this arrest, Traffic Officers stopped five vehicles, issued 12 citations and two vehicles fled from traffic stops.
To date, since the beginning of the year, street racing operations have resulted in:
- 28 nights of operations conducted
- 431 total citations
- 12 citations for racing
- 57 citations for spectating
- 23 Calls for Service (typically reports of vehicle disturbances in parking lots and racing on streets as well as Aggravated Driver BOLOs)
- 6 DWI arrests
- 9 arrests for offenses such as Reckless Driving, Aggravated Fleeing, repeat offenders
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