A Maryland man was arrested for his role in an illegal car rally during a Super Bowl celebration in Philadelphia in February, Maryland State Police said.

Philadelphia Eagles fans celebrated their team's championship, following their 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Troopers said 19-year-old Yariel M. Fuentes-Reyes, from Laurel, Maryland, has been charged in Maryland with misdemeanor possession of a firearm by a minor and possession of a firearm without a serial number.

 Fuentes-Reyes was identified during a collaborative effort from the Maryland Car Rally Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department.

Fuentes-Reyes was transferred to the Anne Arundel County Detention Center for an initial court appearance. He will be extradited to Pennsylvania, where he faces numerous felony and misdemeanor charges related to the car rally.  

Search leads to firearm confiscation

On Thursday, July 3, state police said task force members, assisted by the Maryland State Police Special Tactical Assault Team Element (STATE) and the Philadelphia Police Department, served a search warrant at Fuentes-Reyes' home in Laurel.

During the search, investigators recovered an unserialized Polymer 80 handgun. Police said the operation was conducted as part of an ongoing investigation into the illegal car rally during the Super Bowl in Philadelphia.

Video shows Maryland car rally

WJZ obtained video from one of several illegal car rallies in Maryland that were dismantled last weekend.

Six large-scale rallies on public roads in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Harford County were broken up as part of the crackdown on illegal car meetups.

A rally on South Central Avenue in Baltimore's Harbor East showed dozens of people as a car spun around doing donuts at the intersection on Saturday night.

These rallies blocked roads and intersections across the Baltimore area.

The enforcement started around 11 p.m. on Saturday, which included high-visibility patrols, preventing crowds ranging from dozens to hundreds of people from participating in the illegal exhibition driving.

"They target industrial complexes, parking lots, anything where these illegal driving exhibitions are happening," said Kyleigh Beaver, a spokesperson for Maryland State Police.

What is the Maryland Car Rally Task Force

In 2024, law enforcement agencies across Maryland formed the Maryland Car Rally Task Force to combat illegal driving exhibitions.

The task force increases patrols in hotspot areas known for illegal street exhibitions..

The task force is comprised of the Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and police departments from Prince George's, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Montgomery counties. 

"The Maryland Car Rally Task Force was formed to really go out and combat these large-scale illegal driving exhibition events that threaten public safety," Maryland State Police spokesperson Elena Russo previously told WJZ.

Crackdown on illegal car rallies

In June 2024,  went into effect, making exhibition driving and street races illegal. 

The law defines exhibition driving as operating a vehicle close to a crowd and intentionally skidding, swerving while accelerating or causing the wheels to lose contact with the ground, among other actions. 

Those convicted of exhibition driving could face 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. If the illegal conduct results in harm to another person, the maximum prison sentence is one year.