In a crackdown on illegal automotive antics linked to the Super Bowl LVIII celebrations, the Maryland Car Rally Task Force (MCRTF), working in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police Department, arrested 19-year-old Yariel M. Fuentes-Reyes of Laurel, Maryland. The young man, identified by the Maryland State Police news release, is now facing an array of charges, including misdemeanors for possessing a firearm as a minor and having a firearm devoid of a serial number.
During a search executed yesterday, authorities from the MCRTF, Maryland State Police Special Tactical Assault Team Element (STATE), and Philadelphia Police Department uncovered an un-serialized Polymer 80 handgun at Fuentes-Reyes' residence indicating the crossover between the underground car rally scene and more ominous activities, he was then processed at the Maryland State Police Glen Burnie Barrack countering any notion that the spectacle of illicit street racing exists in isolation from other forms of criminal behavior. Fuentes-Reyes, who has been transferred to the Anne Arundel County Detention Center, is prepped for extradition to Pennsylvania to face his looming felony and misdemeanor charges related to the unsanctioned car rally that clashed with public safety in Philadelphia.
The arrest highlights not just the person involved but also the larger law enforcement effort to crack down on these dangerous car rallies. The MCRTF is a joint team comprising the Maryland State Police, local police from Prince George’s, Montgomery, Howard, and Baltimore counties, Baltimore City, and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
