PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
A defendant who's considered a prolific street racer in the Valley has been sentenced to spend 2.5 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Jessie Ray Luna-Espinoza, 33, was sentenced earlier this week in court after pleading guilty to street racing and misconduct with weapons, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors said Luna-Espinoza was an organizer in the local street racing community who used social media to entice others to drive dangerously. The defendant has previous convictions involving street racing.
Luna-Espinoza's charges stem from two separate racing offenses committed in June and November of 2021.
Local officials have been attempting to crack down on street racing throughout the Valley by ramping up enforcement and issuing more citations to offenders.
Earlier this year, a Lyft driver was killed in the Valley after a suspected street racer crashed into his car. Three passengers were also killed in the collision.
“Street racing is a threat to the safety of our community. To those who take over our streets, who defy law enforcement, and who put innocent lives in danger, we will hold you accountable,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in a statement.
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