Illegal street racing 'starter' arrested in Orlando, officials say

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Illegal street racing has been a growing problem in Orange County, but officials said one man was in custody Monday after investigators said he was responsible for races in the area of 35th Street and Maggie Boulevard.

Black tire marks could be seen running up and down the street Monday after a Sunday morning bust that sent a Kissimmee man to jail.

Steve Agelokostopoulo, 27, was arrested Sunday morning and is belived to be the person responsible for initiating the start of the race, officers said.

Buddi Andrade works near the intersection and said the area was a prime place for racing.

"If you were going to drag race, you need a long straight road," he said. "There's plenty of them in this area so it's obviously a prime sport for that kind of activity.

"Every morning you see some kind of a swirl or some kind of thing in the middle of the road."

The Orlando Police Department noted in an arrest report from Sunday's incident that the area is a "known street racing location."

In July, 9 Investigates detailed drag racing incidents in the Lake Nona area on open roads in areas that are under construction.

It is not just the drivers who can be arrested during a street race, officials said.

Anyone watching or taking part in any way, such as the starter in Sunday's incident, can face charges, investigators said.

Andrade said he hopes recent arrests will make people think twice about drag racing on public streets.

"There's a lot of trees, warehouses, curbs," he said. "At any given time there could be a tractor-trailer on the side of the road that you could miss going 80, 90 miles an hour."

Cox Media Group