Seven brand new pickup trucks were stomped on and smashed during an illegal sideshow in Richmond last Friday. Emma Goss reports.
Seven brand new pickup trucks were stomped on and smashed during an illegal sideshow in Richmond last Friday.
The sideshow broke out at the intersection of Klose Way and Blume Drive late Friday night.
At a car dealership nearby, three people wearing red hooded sweatshirts were seen standing on top of the pickup trucks, jumping on the hoods and shattering the windshields.
"They stomped the hoods, the roofs, glass," Hilltop Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram General Manager Leon Thomas said.
They also damaged the dashboards, Thomas said.
"It was horrendous," he said. "It was disappointing. It was disturbing."
Richmond police were close by when the sideshow was happening. They said hundreds of vehicles blocked the road leading to the sideshow, and one police vehicle was damaged by spectators who threw something at it.
In total, seven 2024 Ram and Dodge trucks were damaged. They were taken to an auto body repair shop where the full extent and cost of the damage was being assessed.
"It's a big financial blow to the companies," Thomas said.
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In the meantime, Thomas said he plans to work with the surrounding dealerships to partner on heightened security.
While he understands how chaotic sideshows are for police officers, he believes police and Richmond city leaders need to prioritize protecting businesses during the illegal events.
"They were there, they knew what was going on, but they didn't protect our business," Thomas said. "I would like them to make a presence around not only my business but the other businesses around here who pay a lot of taxes here."
NBC Bay Area reached out to Richmond police for comment but did not immediately hear back.
