After a three-week investigation, Oakland police said Friday they arrested two people accused of organizing a large and disruptive sideshow in August that drew about 100 vehicles and hundreds of spectators. Police did not identify the two people, who they said organized the Aug. 24 sideshow, which spanned several Oakland neighborhoods and intersections. Officers seized six vehicles and recovered a firearm, police said. Police said the sideshows featured “reckless and criminal behavior” including illegal fireworks, negligent gunfire and a vehicle set ablaze.
With help from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, police served search warrants at homes in Oakland and Santa Rosa and took the two suspected organizers into custody on felony warrants tied to the promotion and facilitation of the event. The Oakland Police Department said sideshows continue to be a persistent public safety problem, causing significant quality of life issues in neighborhoods across the city and “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in infrastructure damage. The department said it will boost staffing this weekend and coordinate with regional partners to stop any sideshows.
Police said they will continue to seek felony charges when appropriate against people who organize or facilitate such events and will work with community groups and other agencies to curb the dangerous gatherings…