San Jose police announce arrests after monthslong sideshow investigation

SAN JOSE — Officials announced a major crackdown on sideshows Thursday, saying they had used the city’s so-called “promoter ordinance” to arrest seven people responsible for publicizing and promoting more than 20 of the unpermitted street events.

At a news conference on Thursday afternoon, San Jose police announced the arrest of seven suspects who allegedly hosted and promoted 22 sideshows in the South Bay city as part of a group called the Hockey Team.

RELATED: San Jose authorities announce more arrests in sideshow infamous for attack on police car

According to a city news release, the suspects were indicted in December on charges related to felony conspiracy to violate the promoter ordinance; one person was also suspected of being involved in a theft that occurred at a sideshow.

Of the seven men arrested, five are residents of San Jose and two are from Oakland. Police said they also have outstanding arrest warrants for two more suspects, a man from Sunnyvale and a man from Salinas.

“San Jose is truly a model and is leading the way in how communities can respond to the sideshow epidemic,”  said San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph. “Our message today is clear. In San Jose, watching a sideshow is illegal, participating in one is illegal, promoting one is illegal. If you do it, we will find you, take your vehicle and take you to jail.”

Joseph said this was the city’s largest enforcement effort to date under the laws passed in 2020 and 2021, which led to a crackdown in sideshow activity. The chief cited the ordinances, which ban “spectating, promoting, encouraging, instigating, assisting, facilitating or aiding and abetting” those who organize sideshows and reckless driving in San Jose.

Operation Penalty Box, as the bust was called, lasted 28 months and monitored at least 23 major sideshows that the group advertised, police said. Joseph said that on average, the group’s sideshows would bring in at least a dozen vehicles and attract crowds of hundreds and stop traffic at 7 or 8 intersections for hours at a time.

The challenge for law enforcement in this investigation came from the careful planning of sideshow organizers, Joseph said; only a few individuals would share details about the events in a decentralized manner, making it harder for authorities to find out about them in advance.

Joseph said that as police conducted their investigation, they noted eight instances of police vehicles attacked by sideshow participants, including an infamous daylight incident earlier this year that was caught on video. Investigators also located dozens of firearms discharged and seized, and tallied numerous instances of lasers pointed at police on the ground and in helicopters, six pedestrians struck by reckless drivers and two officers hit by sideshow participants’ vehicles.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan thanked police for their efforts during the investigation and warned people who may attend or participate in sideshows that they were at risk of losing their cars, paying penalties or even facing jail time. He also emphasized following traffic laws due ahead of Halloween activities Thursday and through the weekend, advising drivers to be careful with potential trick-or-treaters walking around.

“We may not catch you the night you attend or promote or participate in a sideshow, maybe not the day or week after, but you will be caught, you will be held accountable,” Mahan said. “Don’t sentence your future self for the mistakes you made today.”

Santa Clara County Chief Assistant District Attorney Jay Boyarski said some of the suspects were arraigned Wednesday and more arraignments will occur in the future. The indictments, obtained through the grand .

“The next step is we hold them accountable and we send them to prison,” Boyarski said.

Boyarski said that eight of the defendants could receive a maximum sentence of five years and four months in state prison and one defendant could receive a maximum sentence of 6 years in state prison.

Amaan Hinif Cruz, a San Jose State student originally from Oakland, said that they understand why the police is cracking down on sideshows because they can be really dangerous and people tend to get hurt a lot at the events.

“It’d be cool if they could get it to stop a little bit,” Hinif Cruz said, but they also conceded sideshows could be made safer if there was a way to do driving stunts legally where police could stand by and watch so nothing gets too dangerous.