One teenage driver learned the hard way not to post videos of himself doing illegal high-speed stunts for the police to see on social media. In early August, an 18-year-old was caught performing burnouts and donuts in a rented U-Haul truck in the San Diego area that eventually led to his arrest. But investigators then discovered that this wasn’t the only bad decision that the teenager had made while driving. Perhaps it’s not a good idea to post your crimes online for the sake of clicks and views.
Teenager had posted many videos of him recklessly driving on the highway
18-year-old Joshua David Ruiz was arrested on August 8 during a joint operation between the San Diego Police Department and the California Highway Patrol, according to Fox 5.
The teenage driver was among numerous participants and organizers involved in illegal street racing and sideshow activity in the city. Investigators had learned that a group posting on social media was coordinating to take over a series of four locations with sideshows past midnight.
At one of these stops at Scripps Ranch Court and Scripps Ranch, officers witnessed Ruiz doing donuts and burnouts using a rented U-Haul pickup truck, causing roughly $5,000 in damages to the roadway. He was later arrested and booked on charges of felony vandalism, reckless driving, and exhibition of speed.
However, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Investigators learned that the teenage driver had previously posted videos of himself performing dangerous stunts on various freeways in the city.
The SDPD posted a compilation video on Instagram of his reckless driving that includes high-speed racing and “white lining,” which the department calls a “corny term for weaving at high speeds between vehicles with very little room for error.”
Ruiz faces the possibility of additional charges as investigators have linked him to prior incidents involving similar activity.
