Carroll County roads became the backdrop for a real-life Fast and Furious as a massive illegal drag racing event trapped residents in their homes and left authorities scrambling to make arrests over the weekend. Two alleged organizers of the chaos in the Kennedy Estates subdivision are now in custody, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities were warned on Friday about the unsanctioned meetup. After choosing to ignore the warning, Preston Bailey and Reshad Bailey, both from Carrollton, were charged with promoting the unauthorized event and violating multiple local ordinances, FOX 5 reported. On Saturday, deputies intervened as hundreds of participants hit speeds in excess of 100 mph as they dispersed to nearby Villa Rica.
"We just had a legal event," claimed Kevin Hill, one of the onlookers, in defense of the high-speed gathering. Hill told FOX 5, "Everyone had fun, they tried to say that we had illegal stuff out here, they don’t even know if it was illegal or not, could’ve been fake." However, Ashley Hulsey, spokesperson for the sheriff's office, mentioned that "illegal stuff" did indeed include a firearm discovered at the scene.
Further arrests brought a diverse group of offenders into custody. Among them, Robert Heard, wanted out of Minnesota on felony charges, was apprehended, and multiple individuals were booked for drug possession and reckless driving, as reported by Atlanta News First. The list of charged individuals included Julio Abarica, Nancy Montiel-Fabion, and Dylan Moreland for possessing marijuana, while Sabrina Amirkhanl and Andrea Montes faced the music for racing and speeding.
A neighbor, requesting anonymity out of concern for retribution, expressed worries, telling FOX 5, "I’ve been concerned with people getting hurt, with large crowds. They’re all over the area, flying up and down the road." Meanwhile, the participants' defiance was palpable, with plans to possibly repeat the event in the future – this time allegedly with a proper permit. The investigation is far from over, with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office urging anyone with information to come forward.
