A 20-year-old Norfolk man was arrested after he reportedly did a number of donuts in a Ford Mustang near the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, allegedly damaging city property in the process. Investigators were reportedly able to tie the incident to two previous cases already under investigation, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department. He now faces six charges tied to all three events.
Officers responded to Atlantic Avenue on Sunday, according to Ford Authority, after receiving reports of a vehicle doing donuts in the roadway. Investigators reportedly identified the Mustang as the same car connected to two open investigations involving similar incidents on March 22 and April 25. Both earlier incidents had reportedly been captured on surveillance cameras.
Kyle Matthews of Norfolk was later arrested during a traffic stop in connection with the incidents. Police charged him with three separate counts of racing/exhibition driving along with three counts of destruction of city property.
The Virginia Beach Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing, though investigators appear confident they connected all three incidents to the same Mustang thanks in part to surveillance footage gathered during the investigation.
What the Police Said
The Virginia Beach Police Department confirmed on social media that the Mustang seen in the surveillance footage was allegedly involved in multiple burnout and donut incidents near the Oceanfront area.
After locating the vehicle, officers conducted a traffic stop and took Matthews into custody. Police said the arrest tied together all three investigations involving the Mustang.
Matthews now faces charges connected not only to Sunday’s alleged incident, but also the two earlier cases investigators had already been working. Authorities have not released additional details regarding possible damage tied to each individual incident.
The Charges
Matthews was charged with three counts of racing/exhibition driving and three counts of destruction of city property, with one set of charges tied to each alleged incident.
Exhibition driving charges are commonly associated with maneuvers like burnouts and donuts performed on public roads or in populated areas. Investigators also tied the incidents to alleged property damage, which led to the destruction of city property charges.
While burnout videos regularly go viral online, police departments across the country have increasingly cracked down on street takeovers, donuts, and exhibition driving events, especially in busy tourist areas or locations with heavy pedestrian traffic.
The Virginia Beach Police Department said the investigation into the incidents is still active. No additional court information had been released at the time of writing.