NYC neighborhood becomes fiery Mad Max hellscape as ‘street takeover’ trend spreads from West Coast

A quiet New York City neighborhood was terrorized by a mob of out-of-control motorists who stormed a residential block, beat local residents and torched a car as part of a ‘street takeover.’

Distressed residents in Malba, Queens, watched on in horror as their usually secluded neighborhood was transformed into a crazed scene akin to the Mad Max films early on Sunday morning.

The violence exploded around 12.30am in the usually quiet waterfront suburb, when dozens of cars poured into South Drive & 141st Street.

The mob began ripping across lawns, spinning donuts in the middle of the streets and setting off fireworks in one of the most brazen takeovers the city has seen.

Neighbors said the block has recently become a magnet for dangerous late-night meetups – part of a national ‘street takeover’ trend that migrated from California – and has increasingly escalated into violence, vandalism, and brazen confrontations with civilians.

The first to push back against the anarchy was local resident Blake Ferrer, who stepped outside and tried to get the group off his property.

‘When I came out, I said, ‘Bro, you gotta get the f*** off my property,’ Ferrer told The New York Post. ‘And that’s when it all started.’

Video then shows Ferrer being swarmed by a pack of attackers as he is kicked, stomped, and punched, while his wife is also struck.

A quiet corner of Queens, New York was transformed into a full-blown war zone akin to the film Mad Max early on Sunday when a mob of street-takeover drivers stormed a residential bloc

At least one car was set ablaze by the mob which ran riot through the streets

A local resident (dressed in blue and yellow) can be seen lying on the ground as the mob attacked

Ferrer was left with broken ribs and a broken nose.

Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, who represents the area, said Ferrer was ‘lucky he wasn’t killed.’

A second resident, a 41-year-old man, had objects thrown through his car windows when he tried to intervene, according to police.

Private security company owner Larry Rusch, 59, rushed outside after hearing engines screaming across front lawns. He described seeing about 40 cars involved.

Rusch tried to halt the mob by pulling a company vehicle into the intersection to block the stunt drivers.

‘As soon as I did that, everyone started leaving,’ he said. But two individuals broke off from the crowd. ‘Somehow they threw some kind of firework or something and lit the car up.’

The vehicle burst into flames, captured in a video posted by Paladino as another car sped around the burning wreck in circles.

‘It was a complete melee,’ Rusch, who has lived in the area his whole life, said.

Dozens of cars gathered to make donuts around the blazing vehicle in scenes of chaos

Firefighters could be seen battling to put the fire out as the vehicle sat in the middle of the road

Gangs of young men wearing hoodies and facemasks made for a threatening presence

Rusch noted how stunt drivers occasionally pass through, but nothing close to what unfolded this weekend.

‘It happens but not to this extent,’ he explained.

Paladino was furious about both the violence and the city’s response. She published a blistering statement saying residents who called 911 were told that a ‘quality of life team and 311’ should handle the situation.

‘Unacceptable,’ she wrote. ‘In fact, these violent street takeovers should be met with maximum force by the police department.’

‘This is a disgrace. They came with their cars and wreaked havoc on this very quiet area of my district.’

She warned that the repeated lack of consequences for those involves is pushing neighborhoods to the brink.

‘There were multiple armed residents who exercised extreme restraint last night, however that level of restraint is not guaranteed,’ she said. ‘If the city refuses to do what’s necessary, the people might.’

The NYPD said an officer who was initially dispatched to the call was diverted to a higher-priority emergency – but that once the takeover was upgraded, police responded quickly.

Two local residents were seen being attacked on the front lawn of their home

The couple could be seen being punched and kicked to the ground in a savage beating

Victim Blake Ferrer can be seen being knocked to the ground

The waterfront neaighborhood of Queens is usually a quiet part of the city

‘The precinct covers a large geographical area, and this was a busy Saturday night,’ the NYPD told Fox News noting how officers were simultaneously dealing with a DWI arrest, an assault, a hospital transport, and an injury-causing collision.

But to residents, the explanation did little to quell the outrage.

‘These incidents are happening citywide,’ Paladino warned. ‘And they’re happening because there are no longer any real consequences to this kind of criminality.’

She added that residents in her district seeking concealed-carry or premises-permit applications are being offered assistance by her office.

The illegal ‘street takeover’ trend began in California and has since been spreading across the nation, involving large groups who meet at a designated location late at night to perform dangerous stunts in their cars.

Often footage of the dangerous moves go viral on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram.