5 arrested for illegal drag racing in Miami-Dade County

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Five suspects have been arrested on various charges in connection with illegal drag racing in Miami-Dade County, authorities announced Saturday.

According to their arrest reports, the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Homeland Security Bureau began an investigation into the street racing activities that began in early December.

Police said four men and one woman were arrested during two intersection takeover enforcement operations this week in Miami-Dade County.

• Jearial Garcia, 21, of Margate, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, openly carrying a weapon, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, and drag racing

• Andres Culp, 18, of Plantation — highway drag racing

• Joshua Dalmond, 23, of Miami — drag racing

• Cameron Lomax, 19, of Miramar — drag racing and operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license

• Chelsy Gamez, 20, of Miami — passenger involved in highway drag racing

According to a MDPD news release all suspects were involved in intersection takeovers throughout Miami-Dade County from Dec. 30, 2023, through Saturday.

The enforcement operation — which consisted of the Homeland Security Bureau along with members of Miami-Dade County’s Intelligence and Investigations Section, the Priority Response Team, Robbery Intervention and North Operations Division uniform patrol units led to 16 citations, 1 impounded vehicle, 1 impounded gun and 1 juvenile curfew violation.

According to Dalmond’s arrest report, several vehicles were blocking the roadway when a hoodless Dodge charger — driven by Dalmond — approached the intersection and began doing donuts in the pit while spectators watched and recorded for about 10 minutes on Dec. 30 around 2:15 a.m. at the intersection of Northwest 151st Street and Northwest 7th Avenue,

Dalmond then drove to three other intersection takeovers nearby and did more donuts for spectators, the report stated.

On the morning of New Year’s Eve, Dalmond made two more appearances in his vehicle at intersection takeovers in the area. He was later arrested on January 2 at his home, according to police.

Investigators said Lomax and Gamez made an appearance in a white Corvette and drove donuts in the pit of that respective takeover at the intersection of Northwest 54th Street and Northwest 27th Avenue on January 2 around 2 a.m., to which they were identified by police in an Instagram video.

Jail records show they were both arrested on Saturday.

Garcia and Culp’s arrest reports show that both were found making donuts at the I-75 Park & Ride in Hialeah, driving red Mazda Miata and gray Chevrolet Tahoe. When unmarked police vehicles approached their group, the spectators and drivers dispersed, leading officers on a short pursuit before they were eventually arrested.