Lantana Man Arrested For Doing Doughnuts At Lake Worth “Park And Chill”
Luis Lopez Mendoza Charged With Street Racing For After Cops See Him Doing “Doughnuts”
LAKE WORTH, FL – Boca Post (BocaPost.com) — 18-Year-Old Luis Lopez Mendoza was arrested by PBSP deputies after he was observed doing “doughnuts” near a local “park and chill” car enthusiast hangout in Lake Worth.
As Boca Post has previously reported on other street racing incidents, car enthusiasts say they have nowhere to go since the closing of the Palm Beach International Raceway (formerly Moroso). PBSO has ramped up its efforts in deterring illegal street racing and related activity.
According to PBSO deputies, Lopez Mendoza was observed placing white plastic signs under each rear tire. Lopez Mendoza then began to rapidly accelerate the rear tires of the Toyota Corolla and turn the front wheels which made the vehicle begin to quickly spin. That vehicle maneuver is known to be called a “doughnut”. Lopez Mendoza conducted this maneuver several times in the same location. The friction of the white signs against the pavement caused the white signs to melt. The vehicle tires then made contact with the pavement through the melted holes in the white signs. The vehicle tires then began to create black skid markings on the pavement. There was also a white gouge mark on the pavement from the white plastic signs scraping the ground during the “doughnuts” Once Lopez Mendoza completed doing the “doughnuts”, he got out of the driver’s seat and removed the plastic signs from underneath the tires and placed them into the back seat. There were numerous spectators watching and recording the incident.
Based on my investigation, the defendant engaged in the driving of a motor vehicle, which was in a manner consistent with the purpose of comparing the acceleration of their motor vehicle, within a certain distance. The defendant did this on in a parking lot located at 4558 Lake Worth Road. The defendant was driving a Silver 2015 Toyota Corolla bearing Alabama Tag SA080MS. The defendant demonstrated driving behavior by engaging in the performance of a “Doughnut”. This is a maneuver performed while operating a motor vehicle, whereby the front or rear of the motor vehicle, is rotated around the opposite set of wheels in a continuous motion, which may cause a circular skid-mark pattern of rubber on the driving surface or the tires to heat up and emit smoke from friction, or both. The defendant was observed performing this “Doughnut” at 4558 Lake Worth Road by accelerating rapidly and causing the rear tires to lose friction with the roadway surface. The defendant was observed going in one circle at this location resulting in white smoke and a skid-mark pattern of rubber on the driving surface.
I then entered the parking lot and conducted a traffic stop on the silver Toyota Corolla. I made contact with Lopez Mendoza who was in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Lopez Mendoza was the sole occupant in the vehicle. Lopez Mendoza was then placed into handcuffs, checked for tightness and double locked, and was placed into the rear of my patrol vehicle. I then read Lopez Mendoza his Miranda Warning which he understood. I then asked the defendant what he was doing in the parking lot. The defendant stated that he was there for a “park and chill” car meet. The defendant advised that he was trying to show off his vehicle to prove to his friends that he has a nice vehicle. The defendant stated that he showed off his vehicle by doing “doughnuts”. The defendant stated that he places the plastic signs under the rear tires and places the emergency brake on so that the vehicle can spin out (doughnuts).
Lopez Mendoza was charged with 316.191(2A) TCATS RACING ON HIGHWAY (UNLAWFUL RACE) and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail where he was later released without bond.
