Roughly 200 ATV and motorbike riders swept through three Suffolk County towns Saturday in a brazen street takeover that ended with three arrests, at least 10 vehicles seized, and one rider caught carrying a loaded firearm.
Suffolk County police spent hours chasing the pack across Hauppauge, Brentwood, and Bay Shore after 911 calls flooded in from motorists and residents watching riders occupy both lanes of Route 347, pop wheelies, and weave through traffic. Officers broke up the initial gathering in Hauppauge and arrested two riders on the spot, Ava Mongiello, 23, and Jahkil Arroyo, 29, impounding several bikes in the process.
Neither arrest stopped the rest. A large portion of the group regrouped near Motor Parkway in Brentwood and pushed south toward Bay Shore, where the afternoon's most serious encounter unfolded around 6:30 p.m.
Two ATVs broke down in Bay Shore, and their riders bolted on foot. Police tackled 22-year-old Shamir Solomon to the ground. Officers found him carrying a loaded gun, a charge that carries up to 15 years in a New York state prison if he is convicted.
Solomon was held overnight and arraigned Sunday in Central Islip. He pleaded not guilty and walked out on $10,000 bail, the New York Post reported, citing New York State court records. He faces charges of criminal possession of a weapon, unlawful speed contest, and reckless driving.
Mongiello and Arroyo each face charges of reckless driving, reckless endangerment, and unlawfully fleeing a police officer. Both received desk appearance tickets and were released, meaning they will answer the charges later in court rather than sit in a cell.
The math is hard to ignore. Police estimate about 200 riders tore through three towns on a Saturday afternoon. Three were arrested. At least 10 vehicles were impounded. The rest rode off.
Video obtained by the Post showed riders wearing masks, bandanas, and sunglasses, gear that made identification difficult and suggested the participants knew they were breaking the law. Others in the group filmed the stunts as they rode, and police indicated the entire episode may have been staged for social media.
If that is the case, it means nearly 200 people decided that content for their feeds was worth shutting down public roads, endangering every driver and pedestrian in their path, and forcing a county-wide police response, all for clicks.
The 911 calls started in Hauppauge when the riders first appeared on Route 347. Residents and motorists reported a mass of ATVs and motorbikes commandeering the roadway. Police responded, broke up the meetup, and made the first two arrests. But the sheer number of riders meant the group simply reassembled a few miles away in Brentwood and kept going.
That pattern, disperse, regroup, ride again, stretched the response across three towns and several hours before the Bay Shore encounter brought the most dangerous arrest of the day. Ordinary drivers had no choice but to get out of the way or call 911 and hope for the best.
No injuries to riders, bystanders, or officers were reported in the Post's account, but the absence of a body count does not make the event harmless. A loaded gun on one rider, reckless driving charges on two others, and a pack large enough to shut down a state route add up to a public-safety failure that residents should not have to absorb.
Solomon allegedly carried a loaded firearm during a mass street takeover that prompted a police chase and a foot pursuit. He pleaded not guilty, posted $10,000 bail, and went home. Under New York law, the weapons charge alone could put him behind bars for up to 15 years. Whether the system treats that charge with the seriousness it deserves remains an open question.
Mongiello and Arroyo, meanwhile, walked out with desk appearance tickets, a paper promise to show up in court later. For riders who allegedly fled police and endangered the public, a ticket is a light consequence. It sends a clear signal to anyone planning the next takeover: the odds of real punishment are slim.
When 200 people can hijack public roads in broad daylight and 197 of them face no consequences at all, the problem is not a lack of laws. It is a lack of will to enforce them.
