Burnouts, busted plates, and a not-so-smooth getaway: after the FIFA World Cup match on Tuesday, two Santa Ana drivers tried to keep their celebration under wraps—literally. Unfortuanly for the drivers, the Santa Ana Police were excited to announce on Facebook that there are “TWO MORE OFF THE STREETS.”
If you thought nobody would notice a couple of trucks roasting tires in the middle of a major intersection, think again. This week, Santa Ana’s post-match street party turned into an impromptu police investigation, and it didn’t take long for the celebration to catch up with the drivers involved.
You can try to cover your license plate, but when the smoke clears, the details have a way of coming out. Here’s how two drivers learned that lesson the hard way. According to the Santa Ana Police Department, dozens of vehicles swarmed Bristol Street and McFadden Avenue after the match. Drivers turned the intersection into a temporary arena, smoking their tires and waving oversized Mexican flags as crowds looked on.
Social media lit up with videos, but investigators say the showmanship didn’t slow down their pursuit. By sunrise Wednesday, the Traffic Unit tracked down two trucks, impounded them, and arrested the drivers for reckless driving. The evidence? Burned rubber, viral video, and a few flags that couldn’t hide the facts.
The department shared the arrests on Instagram and Facebook, reminding everyone: “Covering your license plates doesn’t make you anonymous, and turning our streets into your personal racetrack comes with consequences.”
The Drivers Didn’t Stay Anonymous
Police identified the drivers as 26-year-old Yobany Lucero and 20-year-old Bryan Ladino, both of Santa Ana.
According to investigators, both men were arrested for reckless driving after officers tracked down the vehicles allegedly involved in the burnout exhibition.
The Instagram video posted by the department shows two pickup trucks driving through an intersection, oversized Mexican flags flying from their beds as smoke pours from their tires during burnouts.
Santa Ana Continues Cracking Down
The arrests are part of the Santa Ana Police Department’s ongoing enforcement against illegal street takeovers, burnouts, and reckless driving.
In recent months, the department has repeatedly warned drivers that major sporting events and celebrations are not an excuse to turn public streets into racetracks. Officers say additional enforcement efforts are aimed at reducing dangerous driving before it leads to serious crashes or injuries.
The department also reminded drivers that attempting to hide a vehicle’s identity by covering license plates does not prevent investigators from identifying the responsible parties.
Celebrate, But Keep It Legal
Whether celebrating a World Cup victory or another major event, police are urging drivers to do so responsibly rather than risk impounds, arrests, injuries, or having their vehicles towed away.
In the department’s Instagram video, officers paired the arrests with the song “On to the Next One,” making it clear they’re continuing to crack down on illegal street takeovers and burnout exhibitions.
The Santa Ana Police Department also reminds drivers to slow down and obey posted speed limits. Officials say speeding remains one of the leading causes of deadly crashes, and additional traffic officers are on patrol looking for dangerous driving throughout the month.
For anyone thinking about celebrating with donuts in the middle of an intersection, this week’s arrests suggest officers are paying close attention — and they may come looking long after the tire smoke clears.