June 10, 2023
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Aki J. Newman, 21, was arrested Friday for allegedly assaulting a pedestrian at an illegal car meet in Philadelphia in the early hours of June 4.
A man suspected of assaulting a pedestrian at an illegal car meet in the early hours of June 4 was arrested on Friday, police say.
Aki J. Newman, of New Castle, Delaware, was charged with assault after he allegedly attacked a person while cars were illegally racing and doing doughnuts at the intersection of Bustleton and Philmont avenues.
During the meetup at Bustleton and Philmont around 1:00 a.m., there was a crowd of hundreds of people when police showed up. People in the crowd threw debris, including bricks, at officers; no one was injured, according to the Inquirer.
There were several illegal meetups late Saturday night leading into Sunday morning and more after police said at a press conference. The attacked person is believed to have been at another illegal meetup. Police have not identified that person
A teenager, Anthony Allegrini Jr., was shot and killed at one of the illegal meetups.
At 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 4, Allegrini Jr., who was 18, was fatally shot by a Pennsylvania state trooper after allegedly striking two troopers with his car during a street race on I-95 near Penn's Landing.
Philly's District Attorney Larry Krasner is investigating the shooting. Allegrini's family is asking for a transparent investigation.
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting, City Councilmember Mike Driscoll introduced legislation Thursday to prevent drivers from drifting and doing doughnuts or spin-outs in the city. If passed, the bill would impose a $2,000 fine on drivers caught violating the law on highways, city streets, recreation centers, or private parking lots without the owner's consent.
"We're going to send a strong message that we will take your vehicle. This is illegal behavior; you're creating a nuisance. It's not fair," Driscoll said, according to 6ABC.
