Ansonia PD
A screenshot from police dashcam footage of the street takeover, shortly after midnight April 26.
ANSONIA – A teenager who participated in an April 26 street takeover on Wakelee Avenue has been arrested, police said.
Police arrested a seventeen-year-old boy May 15 and charged him with first-degree rioting, conspiracy to commit riot, and first-degree reckless endangerment. Those charges are being tried in juvenile court.
Police also charged him with reckless driving, racing, operating without a license, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and driving without insurance June 4, according to the press release. The motor vehicles charges are being heard in Superior Court.
Police did not release the name of the suspect, due to his age.
April 26 was the first time Ansonia experienced a full-fledged street takeover, according to Ansonia Police Lt. Patrick Lynch. During that takeover, approximately 60 to 100 people blocked off parts of Wakelee Avenue. In police dashcam footage, masked people can be seen shooting off fireworks, slamming a traffic cone into a police windshield, and following the car as it backs up.
Police have requested the public’s help in identifying people in the video. You can watch the video here.
Derby and Shelton have experienced street takeovers, too, and street takeovers have received massive news coverage in Connecticut.
The state Senate adopted a bill June 2 that would change laws surrounding street takeovers. It gives cities the ability to penalize takeovers more harshly, according to a legislative report, and it allows cities to destroy seized dirt bikes and ATVs.
