COBB COUNTY, Ga — An arrest at a busy Cobb County shopping center is renewing concerns about illegal car meets and dangerous stunt driving.
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According to Cobb County Police, 18-year-old Andrew Nathan Juarez of Woodstock is accused of performing a burnout during an unauthorized car meet at Cobb Place Shopping Center on July 8.
Investigators say Juarez was driving a Ford F-150 when he allegedly “laid drags,” causing his tires to smoke and squeal in the shopping center parking lot while people and businesses were nearby.
Police said an officer was already patrolling nearby when the incident happened.
“The officer called in backup; they made contact with that individual and they found out that he did not have permission to be on that property,” Sgt. Eric Smith with the Cobb County Police Department told Channel 2 Action News.
Juarez now faces charges related to reckless stunt driving and criminal trespass, according to court records.
Even weeks after the incident, black tire marks remain visible in parts of the shopping center parking lot.
Some shoppers told Channel 2 they were not surprised to hear about another illegal car meet at the location.
“I’ve heard about the people that come around here and do the racing in the parking lot,” one shopper said.
Channel 2 Action News has reported on several similar incidents across Cobb County in recent months, including street racing along Austell Road, stunt driving near Hurt Park, and another parking lot gathering in Marietta where a spectator was struck by a vehicle during donuts.
Shoppers say they worry the problem is becoming more common.
“It’s everywhere that we’re around and it’s definitely becoming a problem,” another shopper shared.
Police urge anyone who witnesses an illegal car meet or stunt driving not to approach the activity. Instead, they encourage people to report it to law enforcement so officers can respond safely.
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