A West Boylston man was the first to be arraigned in Boston on Wednesday in connection with a massive drag racing and stunt driving “takeover” in the Back Bay over a year ago.
Caden Basir, 20, was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court Central Division on Wednesday in relation to a large-scale, coordinated display of cars drag racing, doing donuts, drifting and more in the Back Bay and other cities on April 21, 2024.
Basir has been charged with receiving a stolen vehicle, reckless operation of a vehicle, disturbing the peace, destruction of property, conspiracy and other offenses. Though the court was unable to appoint Basir a lawyer — due to the ongoing bar advocates strike — the defendant pleaded not guilty on Wednesday and was held on $5,000 bail.
On April 21, 2024, just after 2 a.m., Boston Police received about 21 calls reporting a disturbance in the Back Bay, according to the criminal complaint.
“The 911 calls included reports of, but were not exclusive to, complaints of ‘multiple vehicles doing donuts and driving on the wrong side of the street,’ ’30 males … 10-15 cars … persons yelling … cars driving up and down the wrong way on the streets … all arguing,’ ‘cars doing burnouts’ and ‘vehicles drifting and doing tricks outside,’” the complaint reads.
At the scene, officers found a crowd gathered to series dangerous stunt driving, having “abandoned their own vehicles in the roadway apparently intentionally blocking the intersections,” the report states.
About 40 people had gathered around Dartmouth Street at Marlborough Street, where about 15 cars were allegedly operating the wrong way in the streets, the complaint reports. Nearby on Commonwealth Avenue, several other vehicles were allegedly performing “donuts,” drag racing and other “reckless operation.”
A total of 44 documented vehicles were “believed to have been involved as intentional spectators and participants of this incident,” officials reported. Four cars engaged in the “most egregious offenses” fled the scene.
Following an investigation, the identities of the four drivers were determined to allegedly be Basir; Nicholas Laconte, 21; Timothy Cronin, 26; and Robert Reynolds, 19.
“Specifically for Mr. Basir, he was identified as the operator of motor vehicle number four, which is an Infiniti Q50,” said ADA Gianna Falso at the arraignment. “During our investigation into that vehicle, detectives were able to determine that that motor vehicle was a stolen out of Worcester.”
Investigators were able to identify Basir from social media footage by his hand tattoo, as well as records of jail phone calls discussing the incident.
A investigation concluded the incident was not a “spontaneous event,” the complaint states.
“Rather, the evidence revealed that this event, and similar unlawful and reckless acts, occurred over the course of several hours and effected several communities to include Taunton, Brockton Boston, Marlborough, and Bellingham,” the complaint states.
The incidents were coordinated by “drift crews,” the document states, referring to an action in which a vehicle is steered into a controlled sideways skid. The drifting events, which the officers say has “grown in popularity” across the U.S. and on social media, are often referred to as “takeovers” or “sideshows” when done on public streets.
The “takeover” reportedly began in Taunton just after midnight when “200-300” vehicles on Rt. 24 north were seen driving “90-100 mph” in the breakdown lane and 200 vehicles were escorted from property along Myles Standish Blvd., where a large crowd was watching cars do donuts, the complaint reads.
The incident continued in Brockton just after 1 a.m., where police responded to about 50 vehicles drag racing — “two cars almost flipped over” — and more than 50 cars around the scene with people lighting fireworks.
Around 1:15 a.m., police responded to racing and loud beat in a parking garage in Marlborough, and about 40 cars were seen fleeing the scene when officers arrived. Similar incidents were then reported in Boston, Taunton again, and Bellingham through 4:30 a.m., with several of the same vehicles spotted at different locations.
Basir is scheduled to return to court for a pre-trial hearing and appointment of counsel on Sept. 8.
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