Dennis RomeroThe Ferrari- and Porsche-driving douches who terrorized the streets of Beverly Hills last weekend might never be arrested.
And it has nothing to do with diplomatic immunity.
You see, the obvious violations seen on video as the rare, yellow LaFerrari (priced at $1.4 million new) and white Porsche 911 GT3 ($131,000; Road & Track's Performance Car of the Year) aren't actionable by the cops unless they witnessed the antics live.
On video, the jerks are seen weaving around traffic and blasting through a stop sign in residential community just a few blocks from El Rodeo Elementary School. It's not clear if the drivers were racing or chasing.
Class wasn't in session, but neighbors complained that their kids play in those streets. It happened about 6:45 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Walden Drive, authorities said.
Beverly Hills Police Department Lt. Lincoln Hoshino told us, “We've done just about everything we can do on the case.”
Without having seen the violations with their own eyeballs, officers were forced to step back. One person contacted by cops claimed to have diplomatic immunity, and Hoshino said police believe the drivers are Qatar nationals.
However, the point at which diplomatic immunity would be triggered hasn't even been reached. First, Hoshino said, officers have to identify who was driving. Cops might have ID'd the Porsche's driver, but whoever was behind the wheel of the Ferrari was not in the car when units rolled up on the vehicles Saturday.
Credit: A 911 GT3 via Porsche
What's more, the exotic rides were parked on private property. If they had been on the street and officers had observed what they did, they could have been impounded, Hoshino said.
In that case, the drivers could have been cited for suspicion of reckless driving and exhibition of speed, the lieutenant said. “It's just straight reckless, irresponsible driving,” he said.
But wait, there's more:
Now Beverly Hills authorities say that, after they contacted the U.S. State Department, it became clear that whoever these douchebags are, they don't have diplomatic immunity, auto blog Jalopnik reports.
And, the site says, the home where the cars were found was rented and has since been “cleared out.” The residents, it says, “skipped town.”
Meanwhile, a videographer who says he was threatened by one of the drivers had yet to come forward, sit down with police and show any video proving his claims, Hoshino said. The man claimed that one of the motorists said, “I could kill you and get away with it,” and, “F—- America.”
Cops' hands are tied on that front as well.
Case closed?
The problem is, Beverly Hills is one giant jerk store of nouveau-riche young men who race around the streets in exotic sports cars purchased by their parents.
Ori Blumenfeld, chair of the Beverly Hills Human Relations Commission, has asked the police department to submit a report on the weekend incident.
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