IMPD cracks down on street racers, 100 mph+ drivers

INDIANAPOLIS — Halloween night was a scary night for speeding and a busy shift for IMPD officers assigned to crack down on street racers.

Five men were arrested, some with serious past driving convictions, some doing 100+ miles per hour and three vehicles were seized over the course of three hours.

”You’re gonna get arrested for that, you’re also gonna have your car towed,” said IMPD Officer Tommy Thompson.

Just before 12 a.m. Friday, Richard Jones III was apprehended in the 5000 block of Lafayette Road and his car was seized with a gun found inside.

Jones was clocked traveling at more than 100 mph, charged with reckless driving and faces a count of driving while on a suspended license.

At 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Harman Singh Pabla was also stopped after allegedly topping 100 mph on I-465 at Keystone Avenue on the northside.

His car was towed. He was charged with a felony of driving while being a habitual traffic violator and allegedly gave officers a false identification.

Pabla was already serving a suspended sentence for a conviction in June as an HTV. He faces a December trial date for charges of reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. He’s being held without bond until Saturday and then will need to come up with $4000 cash to get out of jail.

Pabla is 25 years old and his first traffic offense dates back to 2018.

It was 45 minutes later that officers spotted David Castellon speeding at more than 100 mph on I-465 on the northwest side.

He’s never had a driver’s license, his SUV was towed and this morning, Castellon failed to appear in court, so an arrest warrant has been issued and a $500 cash bond set.

At 1:45 a.m. Saturday, officers spotted Adrian Barboza and Willians Mendoza Leon squaring off on 96^th Street, ready to race.

Barboza, who has a Muncie home address listed, was arrested for street racing and his car was towed.

Mendoza Leon is listed as a Murfreesboro, Tennessee, resident and is also facing a street racing charge.

”We continuously see where these individuals take over streets recklessly driving, bobbing and weaving in and out of traffic, high speeds over 100 mph, putting other people’s lives at risk,” said Thompson. ”It could be an innocent family, a young child, it’s anyone out there, it’s pedestrians who could be walking on the side of the street and struck.”

IMPD has been cracking down on street takeovers and burnouts as well as street racing.

“These takeovers, it’s where we see maybe firearms we’ve collected before,” said Thompson. ”The officers are gonna continue to do their job and take these and hold these individuals accountable and the prosecutor’s office will hold them accountable. But it’s the judges and the courts that have to decide, is this something we’re going to take away and revoke their license?”

Thompson said IMPD continues talks with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office on enforcing an ordinance that permits authorities to permanently seize vehicles of reckless drivers.