CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department continues to crack down on street takeovers, and investigators are catching promoters by tracking Instagram accounts.
The new tactic to catch them has worked. Officers arrested two people behind two accounts.
However, there is another account still posting the street stunts.
Police arrested Jonathan Hernandez, 19, and Alexander Kyere, 18, who allegedly helped coordinate takeovers last month.
“Well, thank God for that because it’s time for someone to do something,” said Terrance Adams, a Charlotte business owner.
He owns Treasure Chest on West Sugar Creek Road across the street from a separate takeover that happened on March 30 in a Dollar General parking lot.
Three people were shot during the takeover. Adams saw one of the victims on the street.
“You’re hoping and praying that they’re still alive and not dead,” he said.
According to court documents, investigators said Kyere and Hernandez helped facilitate “street takeover(s) by promoting it through Instagram post(s)...”
They tagged the 704Meets page on Instagram, which has nearly 10,000 followers and routinely posts street stunts.
Adams applauds police for the new tactic and getting to the root of the problem.
“If it’s on the internet or the digital world, go into the digital world and then start from there to find out what’s going on, what’s the next move,” Adams said.
The suspects were charged with misdemeanors and are out on bond.
Two of the Instagram accounts that facilitate street takeovers were taken down.
The 704Meets account was still up and running on Wednesday. It is unclear if police are trying to get to who runs that account.
VIDEO: 3 shot during street takeover in northeast Charlotte, report says
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