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'We have a lot of kids that eat here' | Nearby business owners raise concerns after Austin street takeovers

Five illegal street takeover incidents kept Austin police busy over the weekend.

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police are releasing new information about illegal street takeovers that happened over the weekend.

Five incidents took place on Saturday night and stretched from North Austin to South Austin. Three people were hurt in a crash during a street takeover on Payton Gin and Ohlen roads. 

In an email, the Austin Police Department (APD) said officers responded to several reports of a large group of people driving recklessly throughout the city between 9:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. 

First, officers responded to a disorderly conduct/city ordinance violation involving teenagers doing spin-outs in the parking lot and hanging out of car windows near the intersection of Payton Gin Road and Ohlen Road. Approximately 40 to 50 cars were in the area and involved in the takeover.

The drivers then moved to the intersection of Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard. APD said the group kept driving dangerously. At one point, the participants used fireworks during the illegal display.

After that, the group moved to a parking lot off of the South Interstate 35 frontage road.

Officers then learned several cars were gathering at the 8600 block of North MoPac Expressway and responded to a report of multiple drivers gathered in the 400 block of Center Ridge Drive.

Commotion, a huge crowd and sirens coming down US 183 was the scene on Saturday night for Chris McNerney, who owns Sushi Hi on Research Boulevard in North Austin. 

"We could see full view just the burning out, the doughnuts that were happening. If you go there, you'll see all those skid marks. It's a lot, so it's more than one car," McNerney said. 

McNerney worries for his business and the safety of his customers and employees. 

"Guests that are here to eat, they might see that, might not want to come back due to the disregard for safety that some people have around here. So, you know, as a business owner, we do want to make sure that we are located in a safe area. We have a lot of kids that eat here," McNerney said. 

Anyone with any information about the takeovers should submit their tip through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program. You can also call 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for information that leads to an arrest. 

In February, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the creation of a statewide street takeover task force. KVUE is working to get the latest statistics on that. 

Isabella Basco on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  

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