Florida Highway Patrol troopers say two young children, ages 2 and 4, were riding in the back seat of a Dodge Charger as it raced a Dodge Challenger side by side at speeds topping 120 mph on northbound Interstate 75 in Manatee County shortly after midnight on September 5. The driver of the Charger and the driver of the Challenger were both arrested, and the children's mother, who was riding in the front passenger seat, was also taken into custody.
According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, troopers witnessed the two muscle cars racing side by side before clocking speeds above 120 mph. Florida Highway Patrol troopers later identified the Charger's driver as 27-year-old Tomas Valencia Ortega of Wesley Chapel and the Challenger's driver as 27-year-old Joshua Alan York of Brandon, both of whom were booked into the Hillsborough County Jail, as reported by Tampa Free Press.
Per the same account, the two vehicles had initially slowed from 100 mph down to 50 mph before the race actually began. That's when the Charger's front-seat passenger — identified as the children's mother — reportedly stuck her arm out the window and signaled a “3, 2, 1 GO” countdown, at which point both cars accelerated past 120 mph with the toddlers still in the back seat.
Felony Charges Follow the Countdown
Valencia Ortega was charged with child neglect in addition to racing-related offenses, while the mother was charged with participating in a street race, the outlet reports. The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified of the incident, according to the same report. It remains an open question whether DCF will pursue temporary custody or protective supervision of the two children going forward.
Child neglect without great bodily harm is classified as a third-degree felony under Florida Statute § 827.03, carrying a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, according to Hussein & Webber, PL. That statute applies when a caregiver fails to provide necessary supervision or fails to make reasonable efforts to shield a child from substantial risk of injury.
Both Muscle Cars Impounded Under State Law
Florida law requires law enforcement to impound any vehicle involved in a street racing arrest for a mandatory 30 business days, which led FHP to seize both the Charger and the Challenger, per the Tampa Free Press report. Under Florida Statute § 316.191, that impoundment rule applies regardless of whether the arrested driver is the vehicle's sole owner, according to a Florida Senate analysis.
The arrests also fall under Florida's newly created “Super Speeder” offense. House Bill 351, effective July 2025, made traveling 50 mph or more over the posted limit a criminal offense called Dangerous Excessive Speeding, subjecting violators to physical arrest and court appearances rather than a simple traffic ticket, according to The Ticket Clinic. Separately, Senate Bill 1764, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in May 2024, increased penalties for street racing and takeovers statewide, imposing first-offense fines up to $2,000, mandatory one-year license suspensions, and potential felony charges for repeat or coordinated offenses, per the Bedell Firm.
Part of a Bigger Pattern on Tampa Bay Highways
The Manatee County incident is the latest in a string of high-speed racing cases along the I-75 corridor in the Tampa Bay region. Just last month, FHP troopers broke up a street takeover involving more than 100 vehicles blocking northbound I-75 near Thonotosassa, a chase that reached 140 mph and ended in four arrests, a case Hoodline previously covered. Statewide, Florida officers issued 6,641 citations for street racing and stunt driving between 2018 and 2022, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and Tampa police alone logged 207 traffic stops, more than 100 citations, and 10 arrests tied to illegal racing and takeovers in 2024, per the Sammis Law Firm.
This stretch of I-75 in Manatee County has seen other severe traffic incidents in recent months, including an April fatal hit-and-run involving an 18-year-old former baseball prospect that Hoodline also reported on. For now, the case against Valencia Ortega, York, and the children's mother heads to Hillsborough County court, where their formal plea positions have yet to be entered.
