5 Drag Racing Suspects Arrested In Newark After ‘Street Takeovers’

NEWARK, NJ — Five drag racers from out of town were recently arrested after taking part in two “street takeovers” in Newark, authorities say.

The street races took place in November 2024 and April of this year, according to the Newark Department of Public Safety.

In addition to the arrests, police issued 49 summonses to people taking part in the events and towed 11 vehicles, authorities said.

Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda commended members of the department’s Drag Racing Suppression Unit and its Real Time Crime Center for conducting an “outstanding social media investigation” that helped lead to the arrests.

“This deep investigative dive into the social media accounts that promote street takeovers should send a deafening wake-up call to anyone who mistakenly believes that Newark is a place where they can host drag racing events,” Miranda said.

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

According to Newark police, several of the arrests were related to a street takeover that happened last November.

Authorities released the following allegations involving each arrest:

• “Wyatt Bowden, 19, of Somerville was arrested on Nov. 24, 2024, at Miller Street near McCarter Highway. At approximately 1:02 a.m., police responded to the location on calls of erratic driving by multiple drivers. Upon becoming aware of police presence, the suspects began to flee the scene in their vehicles. While attempting to flee, Bowden – who was driving a silver-colored 2015 4-door GMC Terrain – drove over the foot of a Newark police officer. Police pursued the vehicle on foot and safely took Bowden into custody. He faces charges of aggravated assault upon a police officer, eluding, and unlawful possession of a weapon. The officer was transported to University Hospital for treatment and is reportedly in stable condition.”
• “Tony Ali, 20, of Paterson, was arrested in connection with this incident on April 4, 2025, in Totowa. He was identified through social media as the operator of the Instagram account that promoted the November 2024 street takeover. He faces a charge of rioting.”
• “Adrian Mejia, 20, of the Bronx, was arrested on May 1, 2025, in the Bronx, also in connection with this incident. Mejia was identified through social media as a suspect who jumped on a marked Newark police vehicle during the November 2024 incident. He faces a charge of rioting and was also wanted for an aggravated assault charge related to a similar street takeover event in Philadelphia.”

APRIL 26, 2025

Another “street takeover” took place on April 26, authorities said.

According to police, officers responded to Empire Street near Frelinghuysen Avenue around 2:40 a.m. after a 5th Precinct supervisor observed more than 100 drag racers gathering in the area.

After they became aware of a police presence, the participants began fleeing in their cars. Several vehicles collided as the drivers attempted to evade arrest, authorities said.

Here’s what happened next, authorities said:

“A Newark police lieutenant exited his police vehicle and ordered the driver of a gray Ford Focus to stop. The driver, Anderson Nunez-Luna, 22, of Jersey City, ignored the lieutenant’s commands, placed his vehicle into reverse, and struck another fleeing vehicle that was behind his car. Nunez-Luna then accelerated forward, striking a second fleeing vehicle. When approached by the lieutenant, Nunez-Luna lurched the vehicle forward, striking the lieutenant and launching him backward onto the street a short distance away. Nunez-Luna was taken into custody by another 5th Precinct officer who had responded to the scene.”

It wasn’t over for the struck lieutenant, who rose to his feet and tried to stop another fleeing vehicle: a 2021 Honda Accord, police said.

The driver, Haylin Rosario, 21, of Union City, accelerated towards the lieutenant, who rolled himself on the ground as the vehicle fled.

Here’s what followed, police said:

“A police pursuit ensued onto Route 22 West into Hillside. Rosario turned off his vehicle’s headlights and parked in a driveway on the 200-block of Shelton Terrace. He was arrested there without further incident.”

The lieutenant was transported to University Hospital for treatment of his injuries, and is reportedly in stable condition, authorities said.

Nunez-Luna was charged with aggravated assault, eluding, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Rosario was charged with aggravated assault upon a police officer, eluding, and unlawful possession of a weapon.

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