CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies made seven arrests after hundreds of drivers attended an illegal mass gathering on Saturday in Carroll County involving street racing, cars doing burnouts, drifting with large crowds gathered around the vehicles, and more.
On Friday, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of an event planned to take place in the Kennedy Estates subdivision on Saturday.
Deputies say no permits had been applied for or approved for a mass gathering and they contacted the organizers to warn them to cancel the event as it would cause a public nuisance.
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Deputies contacted Georgia State Patrol for additional units to help them perform road checks in the area on Saturday.
Large numbers of vehicles and people began arriving in the Kennedy Estates neighborhood on Saturday.
According to the sheriff’s office, at one point they estimated there were around 500 cars and 1,000 people participating despite road checks being performed to discourage people from entering the neighborhood.
Investigators learned that social media posts advertised that people were being charged $15 to spectate and $30 to participate in “stunt” driving.
The sheriff’s office flew their drone and recorded video of large crowds, traffic blocking roads, cars drifting into spectators, and people waving guns out of car windows.
Deputies broke up the event at about 2:41 p.m. and as drivers left the area, they caused a backup of traffic on Bankhead Highway.
Carroll County 911 dispatch began receiving calls from motorists about speeding vehicles, reckless driving, and shots being fired from cars.
Two cars who were racing each other on Bankhead Highway, reaching speeds of 106 mph, were encountered by a deputy who tried to make a traffic stop on them, but both cars crashed into a parking lot.
Both of those drivers, Sabrina Amirkhanl and Andrea Montes, were arrested for racing and speeding, and their cars were towed.
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Three others, Julio Abarica, Nancy Montiel-Fabion, and Dylan Moreland, were arrested for possession of marijuana.
Robert Heard was arrested for warrants for robbery and aggravated assault out of Minnesota.
Bryan Bush was arrested for obstruction.
The sheriff’s office said the majority of people who came through the road checks were not Carroll County residents.
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