- YouTuber “Squeeze.Benz” famous for viral videos of high-speed drives through New York and New Jersey has been arrested
- Cops named the reckless driver as 19-year-old Antonio Ginestri from Queens, NY
- A video featuring Ginestri drifting through Times Square has racked up 4.4 million views
A YouTuber and social media clout chaser who filmed himself driving at insane speeds in and around New York and New Jersey, racking up millions of viral views in the process—a story we’ve been following and reporting on for months—has finally been apprehended by police
Police published a mugshot of Squeeze Benz, giving us a look at the lunatic without his trademark helmet for the first time, and revealed that he’s only 19 years old.
More: Will The NYPD Stop These ‘Squeeze’ Traffic Terrorizers Before They Kill Someone?
Newark cops teamed up with the NYPD’s Auto Crimes Manhattan Unit to track down the driver, now named as Antonio Ginestri from Queens, after being trolled by a BMW with no license plates one night in April.
They decided not to attempt to pursue him on that occasion, but investigations uncovered social media accounts featuring multiple examples of reckless driving, including footage of the April encounter between police and the BMW. Ginestri now faces a charge of eluding police in Newark, but also has other charges pending from different law enforcement agencies.
Related: Drifting BMW M3 Driver Taunts NYPD And Terrorizes Times Square
“Police Chief Miranda and I commend our detectives for leveraging their sharp technological ingenuity to identify this driver, who mistakenly believed he would get away with jeopardizing public safety in Newark’s Arts and Education District,” Newark Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé said after Ginestri was apprehended.
NYPD chiefs were equally delighted to have taken Ginestri off the streets.
“Squeeze.benz is in custody, thanks to NY’s Finest,” wrote NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Kaz Daughtry.
“One of the most prolific street racers in NYC can no longer treat the Big Apple like the Indy 500. To anyone thinking about putting themselves and others in danger, recklessly zooming through the streets of NYC, think again! You will be arrested and your car will be seized. You will face justice.”
In an interview with another YouTuber, Tommy G, Ginestri explained that the craziness started a year ago when he got his first Mercedes.
“I always did, like, little driving videos, and I never really took it to nothing, but then my boy said mad people are blowing up off this and I was just like ***k it,” he said.
More: Unbelievably Reckless BMW M4 Street Racer Crashes Into Innocent Driver In NYC
Ginestri also revealed that he began renting high performance cars including BMW M3s and Lamborghini Urus SUVs when the heat on his own vehicles became too hot. One of those Lamborghinis suffered damage when it collided with another car during a livestream featuring yet another YouTuber, N3on.
In the interview with Tommy G, Ginestri also proudly rated his police wanted level at 10 out of 10, stating that “no one is more wanted than me.”
That might have been the case last week, but now that he’s in custody, won’t be getting his license back any time soon and probably faces jail time, cops – and New York’s drivers and pedestrians – can sleep a little easier.
“Squeeze.benz” is in custody, thanks to NY’s Finest.
— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) May 21, 2024
One of the most prolific street racers in NYC can no longer treat the Big Apple like the Indy 500.
To anyone thinking about putting themselves and others in danger, recklessly zooming through the streets of NYC, think again!… pic.twitter.com/JVYPvEVrvl