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Michael Patrick Steiner, 21, of Sayreville; David Panevsky, 24, of North Middletown; Dmytrius Bell, 20, of Hillsborough; and Jake Cossrow, 18, of Philadelphia, PA, are facing charges in the gatherings on Sept. 10 and Oct. 14, Hillsborough Police Chief Mike McMahon said.
In the first incident, more than 100 people gathered at Willow and Hillsborough roads around 1 a.m., watching as vehicles did donuts and burnouts, McMahon said.
The crowd refused to immediately disperse, and numerous people advanced towards police units. A white BMW, which was seen driving recklessly in the intersection, then backed up towards a marked patrol unit and did a burnout, police said.
Then, on Oct. 14, yet another report of cars racing and driving recklessly at Dukes Parkway East and Route 206 came in, McMahon said.
Approximately 100 people were seen on foot around the intersection and approximately 50 vehicles were parked along the southbound lanes of Route 206, police said.
The intersection was blocked in all directions by actors on foot and in vehicles cheering and enabling other actors in vehicles to perform burnouts and donuts in the blocked off intersection, known as a "takeover," McMahon said.
Hillsborough police tried to disperse the crowd, at which time 15 to 20 people began to surround police vehicles, blocking them from reaching the intersection and shining laser pointers at responding units’ windshields, authorities said.
Upon reaching the patrol vehicles, some actors hit the patrol vehicles doors and windshields with their hands. As the crowd began to disperse, patrol units attempted to effectuate a motor vehicle stop on a White BMW. The White BMW then backed up toward patrol units, conducted a burnout and fled Northbound on US Highway 206, police said.
Following an investigation, the four aforementioned individuals were charged:
Steiner: Riot 4th Degree, Endangering another person 4th Degree, Obstructing administration of law 4th Degree, Disorderly conduct PDP, and Obstructing Highways and other public passages PDP.
Panevsky: Eluding 2nd Degree, Riot 4th Degree, Endangering another person 4th Degree, Obstructing administration of law 4th Degree, Disorderly conduct PDP, and Obstructing Highways and other public passages PDP.
Bell: Riot 4th Degree, Endangering another person 4th Degree, Obstructing administration of law 4th Degree, Disorderly conduct PDP, and Obstructing Highways and other public passages PDP.
Cossrow: Riot 4th Degree, Endangering another person 4th Degree, Obstructing administration of law 4th Degree, Disorderly conduct PDP, and Obstructing Highways and other public passages PDP.
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