72 Cars Towed After Meetup in L.A. Riverbed Sparks Debate Over Public Access

What started as a gathering of car enthusiasts for photos turned into a costly lesson in property law Sunday evening, when the LAPD’s Street Racing Task Force impounded 72 vehicles from the Los Angeles River channel near Cypress Park. Participants insist the event was a peaceful photo meet, not a street race or takeover, but police say the location itself was the problem: driving into the riverbed is illegal.

Attendee Alex Pimienta told Fox 11 the group had no bad intentions. ” He acknowledged a few cars were “being idiots” with donuts, but claimed those drivers had left before officers arrived. Aerial footage showed more than 100 vehicles in the concrete channel before police began escorting cars out and loading many onto tow trucks.

Officers issued trespassing citations, and some vehicles will be held at the impound lot for up to 30 days.

A. River. The city has spent years expanding bike paths, parks, and even seasonal kayaking along certain stretches. S. Army Corps of Engineers. While the scale of the response may be questioned, the legal basis appears clear: the meetup crossed a line the moment cars entered the riverbed.

For now, 72 owners are left waiting to retrieve their vehicles—and their wallets.