Instagram posts lead to man charged in street takeover

State police cruiser damaged in 2023 incident in Meriden

A Connecticut man’s Instagram posts and messages led detectives to charge him as a co-conspirator in a Meriden street takeover where a state police trooper’s cruiser was stomped on and badly damaged, police said.

Adalberto Oceguera, 19, of West Haven, faces six criminal charges, including inciting a riot and interfering with a police officer in connection to the takeover on May 6, 2023, according to Connecticut State Police.

Oceguera was arrested on a warrant Thursday after an extensive investigation into multiple takeover events, police said.

According to the warrant for his arrest, police were investigating street takeover events in multiple parts of the state last May. A street takeover is defined in the warrant as “when groups gather for the purpose of performing stunts with motor vehicles within a specific area, specifically drifting and burnouts.”

During one such alleged takeover outside a Lowes store at 1201 E Main St., 30 to 40 people were involved in a riot-like gathering where a trooper’s cruiser was stomped on after the trooper responded to 911 calls reporting fireworks, loud music and drag racing, police said.

Police said the trooper responded by himself and his cruiser was surrounded by people who were gesturing the middle finger at him, shining lights and lasers at him and making finger motions of pulling the trigger of a gun, according to police in the warrant.

Multiple members of the crowd started jumping on the hood of the cruiser, causing about $2,000 worth of damage, police said.

A dash camera captured at least one person jumping onto the hood brandishing what appeared to be a handgun when the trooper tried to reverse, police said.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and found that a young man holding a Mexican flag was the first person to stand in front of the cruiser, waving for others to surround the vehicle.

They also found that people attending these street takeovers allegedly usually “showcased their experience” on social media, according to the warrant.

Investigators found an Instagram account with “Dude with the flag” in the bio section of the profile and the Mexican flag emoji next the user’s name.

A detective from the computer crimes unit obtained a search warrant for Instagram data and viewed archived footage of live stories and messages exchanged after the takeover. Messages included the man, identified as Oceguera, asking others to tag him in footage from the takeover.

When detectives first spoke to Oceguera, he allegedly told them he had not attended any takeovers since April 2023. When he learned detectives had a warrant for his Instagram data, he admitted that he was the person pictured holding the Mexican flag at the Meriden takeover, police said.

Oceguera turned himself in to the State Police Central District Major Crime Squad at Troop H in Hartford Thursday and is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree criminal mischief, first-degree riot, inciting a riot, interfering with a police officer, second-degree breach of peace and unlawful assembly, police said.

He is free on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Superior Court in Meriden on March 19, police said.