Undercover “Operation Hot Wheels” Proves Success For PBSO.
BY: 24/7 CRIME DESK | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Six suspects, including one from Boca Raton and another from Boynton Beach, are facing serious charges after they were nabbed in an undercover operation run by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. PBSO says “Operation Hot Wheels” was designed to find — and arrest — street racers.
Undercover deputies and detectives, according to PBSO, infiltrated the large-scale car club event known as “Clean Cultures New Year Showcase at Cacti Park.” More than 4000 people were in attendance on April 13th. PBSO conducted 60 traffic stops in the area and issued 73 citations, with 56 of those citations for “speeding and aggressive driving.”
Among the six people arrested: Charles Baugh Jr. of Boca Raton, and Conner Moniger of Boynton Beach. Both Baugh and Moniger are accused of “burnouts” in the West Palm Beach area. This is the arrest narrative for Boca’s Charles Baugh Jr.
“The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous complaints regarding large gatherings of motor vehicles on roadways, parking lots, and warehouses. These gatherings often result in vehicles engaging in illegal street racing. Further, it has resulted in property damage to the roadways used in these races. On Saturday March 13th, 2024, Deputies working in an undercover capacity observed the defendant, Charles Lawrence Baugh, engaged in the performance of a “Burnout”. A “burnout” is referred to as a maneuver performed while operating a motor vehicle whereby the motor vehicle is kept stationary, or is in motion, while the wheels are spun, resulting in friction which causes the motor vehicle’s tires to heat up and emit smoke.
The defendant was observed performing the “Burnout” at 3147 Forest Hill Blvd (Forest Hill Plaza) by accelerating rapidly and causing the rear tires to lose friction with the parking lot pavement/surface. During the performance of this stunt, the defendant was observed driving toward Forest Hill Blvd while still inside the parking lot plaza in what can be described as a “Fishtailing” stunt. This is when the vehicle’s rear wheels lose traction, resulting in oversteer. This maneuver resulted in skid marks from the tires being tattooed on the driving surface of the parking lot.
The defendant did this within close proximity of spectators at this location. Once on the roadway-Forest Hill Blvd, undercover deputies observed the vehicle head east, passing Congress Ave N. The defendant, Charles Lawrence Baugh, operated his 1994 White BMW with a sizeable black spoiler bearing Florida Tag BZ84FM, where I initiated a traffic stop for modified, altered exhaust and subsequently detained the driver and registered owner of the vehicle, Charles Lawrence Baugh.”
Baugh’s vehicle is impounded for 30 days, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
