Pierce Co. deputies arrest 13 street racers, impounds 6 cars, recovers 4 guns - FOX 13 Seattle

Massive street racing bust in Pierce County

A joint task force made a massive street racing bust this past weekend, arresting 13 people, impounding six cars, and recovering four guns.

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. – A joint task force made a massive street racing bust this past weekend, arresting 13 people, impounding six cars, and recovering four guns.

Probable cause documents that FOX 13 Seattle obtained say an undercover deputy located a group of racers near Canyon Rd E and 192nd St E in an industrial district in Frederickson.

This is near where two people were killed in August in a street-racing related crash.

Probable cause documents say when police arrived, the racers fled.

One of the suspects appeared in court Monday. 20-year-old Caiden Abele is charged with attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle.

Investigators say Abele was going more than 85mph in a 35-mph zone.

According to the documents, deputies backed off the pursuit once Washington State Patrol’s plane got involved.

Documents say Abele reached a dead end, and he and a 15-year-old passenger tried to run away.

In court, the judge set bail at $2,500 for Abele. The 15-year-old, who was arrested, is no longer facing charges, officials with the prosecutor’s office told FOX 13 Seattle.

Washington has placed a focus on the dangers of street racers this year. A new law passed in January expanding the definition of “street racing,” giving investigators more enforcement power.

In Tacoma, police have arrested dozens of people connected to street racing events this year. Data shows more than 40 of those arrests are for people who were spectating.