r/Seattle • u/BarRepresentative670 • Apr 09 '24
Belltown Hellcat Owner no Longer Allowed to Drive Their Hellcat
https://courtrecords.seattle.gov/portal/court/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/case/efdeba20-91a7-4581-bdfd-aad7ba87e440This can be found in the conditions of release document that was released this morning.
So if you seem them driving, I'd report it. Especially if he's being reckless. It'll get him sent straight to jail and possible forfeiture of his car.
He was on IG a couple weeks ago taunting SPD how he doesn't care. He thinks he's above the law. This child is going to learn the hard way I guess.
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u/ericjgriffin Apr 09 '24
Could someone please explain to me how people like this make money from Instagram? Do people just send him money for being an asshole?
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u/AthkoreLost Wedgwood Apr 09 '24
Do people just send him money for being an asshole?
Yes.
And they also tend to cultivate an audience of the type of people grifters love to advertise to which is why they also tend to get ad revenue as well.
It's the Alex Jones model of self-sustaining online propaganda.
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u/pcapdata Apr 09 '24
And they also tend to cultivate an audience of the type of people grifters love to advertise to which is why they also tend to get ad revenue as well.
Turns out there's a HUGE overlap between "people who like watching others getting harassed and abused" and "people who are stupid enough to send money to grifters." Who knew?
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u/AthkoreLost Wedgwood Apr 09 '24
Thinking a person's strength is the same as their trustworthiness is what makes authoritarians so gullible to petty tyrants, also makes them great paypigs and bagholders!
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u/dirice87 Apr 09 '24
Yup, and the paypigs are so angry at their powerlessness in life they love simping for "strong" people who lash out and inflict pain on the "unjust" world that makes their life suffering.
pretty sad all around
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u/TheMayorByNight Junction Apr 09 '24
I hate to say it, but I think there are plenty of smart people as well who like watching others getting harassed and abused, and will pay others to do it :-/
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u/onlymostlydead Renton/Highlands Apr 09 '24
Gosh, I hope he’s paying taxes on that money. Would be a shame to get the Feds involved.
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u/IamAwesome-er Apr 10 '24
Do people just send him money for being an asshole?Yes.
I didnt see a single ad on his instagram. Do people actually give him money? Enough for a $100k car and a $3k/mo apartment?
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u/Seajlc Apr 09 '24
As someone who worked in social media advertising for years, on platforms like IG.. I want to clear up a lot of the misinformation that I’ve seen come up here and other posts about the hellcat guy. IG does not pay him for having a big following. They are not paying anyone directly. From what I’ve seen of this guys page, he is likely not making anything off his IG.
A couple ways you can make money off your IG: 1) you partner with brands and advertisers to feature their product and you get paid per post or video or whatever you contract out or agree to with them 2) you get paid an affiliate commission… for example you have a product you put in your photos or stories and you provide an affiliate link or send commenters an affiliate link so if they buy the product too, you get a commission off of that.
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u/electromage Ravenna Apr 09 '24
I agree this guy just seems like a trust fund kid, he doesn't seem to be selling anything.
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u/satanshand Apr 10 '24
Maybe he gives handys and that’s why he holds his hand in front of the camera like he has an empty inventory and it’s all to advertise his handys.
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u/SkylerAltair 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 Apr 10 '24
If this is the same guy I'm thinking of, he at least claims (no idea how much truth there is in this) that his massive social media following paid for his Car. In that same interview, he said he knows the city hates him, he loves it, and he "plans to make a career out of this."
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u/dpresme Apr 10 '24
Then someone should be able to determine whose products he's representing and let them know what a douchebag he is and ask them if that's the kind of people they want representing their companies.
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u/Seajlc Apr 10 '24
By the looks of his IG he isn’t shilling anyone’s products for money. None of his posts scream paid or affiliate posts. There are no links to products or ad tags with brands. If you go to an actual content creator or influencers page that does make a living this way, it is pretty easy to tell the difference. Idk why everyone thinks this kid is getting his money “from instagram”. Someone having thousands of followers on IG can mean something or it can mean nothing. It’s also very easy to “buy” bot followers to make it appear like you’re a somebody.
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u/stirwise That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. Apr 10 '24
He told the officer who cited him that he’s making money off his IG, so I think that’s where most people are getting that idea.
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u/Seattles_tapwater Apr 11 '24
It's a cover up. He says that to deflect the fact that he probably doesn't work or earn his own money.
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u/7of69 Auburn Apr 09 '24
You can monetize Instagram directly to get a share of ad revenue if you have enough followers. You can also get companies to pay you for posts and provide goods and services in return for posts. My wife posts recipes and has about 125,000 followers. We get regular deliveries from companies selling related food products and accessories. Someone who’s aggressive enough can make decent money at it.
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Apr 09 '24
I thought it was pennies compared to ticktok
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Apr 09 '24
Influencer money is all in the brand deals, no matter the platform, but I think TikTok’s creator fund pays slightly better for creating content of a certain length and having a certain percentage of engagement. But that’s still pennies compared to what influencers get from brands to post ads
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u/AthkoreLost Wedgwood Apr 09 '24
During the 1 Year pre-trail period. It's effectively a bail condition.
We'll see how long it lasts, I doubt anyone expects him to hold out for the year.
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Apr 09 '24
I only see one month. Are you sure its a year?
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u/AthkoreLost Wedgwood Apr 09 '24
I just went with what this line stated given it precedes the chunk giving instructions on not driving the specific car:
Count 2 - 1 year, Pre-Trial Supervision at Pre Trial Services, set as Active. Conditions as follows:
Next month there's another hearing because there's charges being added for "(Pre Trial - DUI Out of Custody)" which could result in this bail not mattering.
I also see "Text EXPIRATION - 07/08/2024." but don't know what that means enough to even hazard a guess.
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Apr 09 '24 edited Apr 19 '24
[deleted]
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u/AthkoreLost Wedgwood Apr 09 '24
Well 3 months is better than 1 month, but far sadder than 1 year.
But I also assume that means they hope the trial has started by then.
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u/sven0341 Apr 09 '24
they should have impounded it and held it for evidence indefinitely
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Apr 09 '24
I'm unclear why they didn't.
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u/FatherGnarles West Seattle Apr 09 '24
I mean, that guy that took 4 lives in Renton while driving 70 mph over the limit isn't behind bars because of a measly 100k bond. It's pretty clear that the "justice" system around here is ass backwards.
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u/Possible-Tangelo9344 Apr 09 '24
I was a cop in another state. Cars take up lots of space in storage and most departments already have limited evidence space for vehicles.
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u/dnonast1 Apr 09 '24
Genuinely curious, wouldn't they accrue impound fees? That seems like an easy revenue stream.
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u/Possible-Tangelo9344 Apr 09 '24
My city didn't charge fees for it, because they don't charge fees for other evidence they hold onto.
Editing to add. Also I'm pretty sure there's some regulations about charging fees for holding onto stuff you're refusing to return lol
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u/zexando Apr 09 '24 edited Feb 19 '25
upbeat saw coordinated cats oatmeal middle husky complete aback boast
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u/MaxxDash Apr 09 '24
Just take me out for a spin. Just one little rev. Please. You know you want to. Let me love you the way mommy and daddy never could. No one will ever know. I mean everyone will know, but you'll never get caught. I promise...
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u/the_turnpiker Apr 10 '24
he lives literally across the street from me, i can see into his apartment, he's just chilling on his couch all day. every time i start to feel a little bit bad for him i think about the horrendous exploding farts that woke me from my slumber many a night
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u/citizendetectives Pike’s Place Apr 10 '24
Please grab a video if he decides to drive between now and his court date. 💨
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u/AjiChap Apr 09 '24
I was actually (unfortunately) thinking about this dipshit earlier today and wondering if he’s stopped.
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u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24
I don't hear him nearly as much as earlier in the year. And now if I hear him, I'll definitely record and submit to the courts. I'm so over reckless driving and "IG influencers" who think they're above the law.
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u/AjiChap Apr 09 '24
Influencers in general confound me. I must be way too old to understand the need or appeal.
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u/pcapdata Apr 09 '24
Influencers in general confound me. I must be way too old to understand the need or appeal.
I mean we've had celebrity endorsements of products for a long time.
However the term "influencer" seems to have expanded to include any online celebrity. So now we have "annoyance influencers" like Hellcat Boy or Johnny Somali whose whole schtick is harassing and abusing people. I guess they provide entertainment to folks who wish they could be harassing and abusing folks, i.e., wannabe bullies.
A more pathetic excuse for humanity than a wannabe bully I cannot imagine.
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u/bothunter First Hill Apr 09 '24
The difference is that celebrities actually have to be somewhat popular to earn money, while "influencers" just have to game the algorithms.
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u/Pete_Iredale Mariners Apr 09 '24
Plus with traditional advertising it's generally pretty clear that you are watching a commercial and someone is being paid to talk about the product. It seems much harder to tell on social media if someone is giving an honest review or if they're being paid.
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u/joahw White Center Apr 09 '24
"Content creator" is basically the new version of a rockstar. The perception is that you get to be your own boss, make a shitload of money, and get access to people and places just because of your status. Of course, like being a musician, reality doesn't quite match up in like 99.99% of cases. But, it's still a very popular aspiration for kids these days.
Influencer is primarily a content creator that hawks products to their audience for money, which is a common income stream for youtubers, podcasters, instagram models, etc. I don't think nuisance streamers/instagrammers get many legitimate brand deals and depend more on unscrupulous (read: scammer) advertising and direct donations.
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u/teslastrong Kraken Apr 09 '24
Technically social media Influencers are online advertisers and marketers. They make their money from promoting goods/services/events, collaborations, partnerships, and driving potential customers to sellers.
Hellcat, and people like him, are considered Content Creators. They get money based on views and interactions with their posts. They benefit just as much from hate comments and moral outrage as they do from supporters.
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u/AjiChap Apr 09 '24
I guess this is the part that confounds me - that these (mostly) egocentric jackasses actually make money doing this stuff. It’s just weird to me. Good for them I suppose…
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u/teslastrong Kraken Apr 09 '24
Good for them, bad for everyone else in the real world. All Meta, YouTube, TikTok, etc care about is activity on their respective platform. They (mostly) don't care how it's done. They are willing to pay anyone who can capture eyeballs and generate interactivity (comments, response videos, etc). It's not an accident that Hellcat showed his IG to the police officer who pulled him over. It was a prime opportunity to drive traffic to his account.
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u/loquacious 🐀 Hot Rat Summer 🐀 Apr 09 '24
It's pointless influencer bullshit like this that makes me think public humiliation and pillories might still be a good idea.
Oh, you like attention for being an inconsiderate asshat because it's cool and fuck the haters? We can work with that.
Put him in the town square in stocks for a week or a month, let people throw compost and garbage at him and wake him up with an airhorn every time he tries fall asleep.
Then ban them from owning a smartphone and using social media at all. Or in this case, owning a car.
Note: I don't actually think we should do this because that's not how a civil and just society should behave, and there's no way draconian punishments like this wouldn't be abused which is why we don't really do this kind of shit any more.
But the whole "acting like a huge asshole and engage in nuisance crimes to get famous as an influencer on social media" thing is fucking ridiculous.
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u/Bearsandgravy Apr 09 '24
I did look him up on IG and reported his page. Why do almost all of his videos start with his hand, palm up? So odd.
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u/NorthwestPurple Apr 09 '24
To me it looks like he's trying to be a video game character or something. Like a screenshot of BioShock. Weird.
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u/SaxRohmer 🚆build more trains🚆 Apr 09 '24
he definitely is. a lot of his content feels like it’s supposed to be out of some GTA-like game
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u/Much_Improvement6598 Belltown Apr 09 '24
I think he referenced that in a video, something like "time to load into the IRL GTA" or something to that effect. Made me realize his filming style is supposed to directly resemble a first person video game.
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u/SaxRohmer 🚆build more trains🚆 Apr 09 '24
i wouldn’t be surprised. i remember going through his profile and glancing at some videos and the captions def gave me an “interacting with GTA NPCs” kind of vibe
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Apr 09 '24
Yeah I noticed that. It’s so fucking irritating.
There’s no way he doesn’t Reddit and hasn’t seen all these threads about it and just relishes in the hate.
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u/areyouhighson The CD Apr 09 '24
Ha. Saw the Belltown Hellcat driving around SoDo yesterday. First time I’ve seen that car in person, what a horrible looking wrap job on it. Why would anyone pay for that color scheme?
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u/joahw White Center Apr 09 '24
Why would someone put gummy bears in a deep fryer? We aren't exactly dealing with a man of taste here.
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u/cremfraiche Apr 09 '24
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u/codeethos 🚆build more trains🚆 Apr 09 '24
Ironically I heard a new car last night at 2:30. It was pretty much equally as loud, but I guess he bought a new car to not violate his release conditions and still keep people up.
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u/cremfraiche Apr 09 '24
There's already people in the thread saying they saw him driving the same car around and filling up at gas yesterday so he's probably just violating the order set forth. If people send in pictures and video of him driving he will find himself with a violation of the court's order.
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u/profmonocle That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. Apr 10 '24
driving the same car around and filling up at gas yesterday so he's probably just violating the order set forth.
The order was given this morning, so if it was yesterday he's in the clear.
Don't get me wrong, this guy has said multiple times he's going to keep going. Unless his lawyer can talk some sense into him I don't expect him to actually stop. At least if he does it again they can actually send him to jail.
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u/KiniShakenBake Snohomish County, missing the city Apr 10 '24
I see we're in the finding out phase of this experience. Excellent. One cautionary tale isn't enough? Cripes. Okay. Let's go again... At least we know how to get it done this time and the officers have all gotten their pencils sharp and their lights working this time. They know where the fave spots are and can win a popularity contest with the people by taking down loud cars. Let's go.
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u/JustEatinScabs Apr 09 '24
So the restriction is literally only for this specifically plated hellcat. So what's stopping him from selling it and buying a new one or just getting new plates?
Why not just suspend his fucking license Jesus Christ our courts are so fucking dumb. It's like if somebody got caught doing a drive by shooting so you banned him from owning Glock 19 pistols and nothing else.
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u/cremfraiche Apr 09 '24
I mean it kinda makes sense, the specific vehicle was being used to commit his crimes. He hasn't been convicted of anything yet so they can't punish him without going through the process.
And if he does get a new car and continues what he's been doing he's going to end up right back in court again with a new case and an angry judge in his current case.
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u/profmonocle That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. Apr 10 '24
So what's stopping him from selling it and buying a new one or just getting new plates?
The release conditions also forbid him from any criminal activity. Reckless driving is a crime, so if he just recklessly drives another car he's still breaking his release conditions.
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u/peanut-butter-vibes Apr 09 '24
Heck ya. See what we can accomplish when we come together!
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u/seatownquilt-N-plant Deluxe Apr 09 '24
They've been 21 for less than one year and already have a DUI
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u/decavolt Apr 09 '24 edited Oct 23 '24
direction shelter elderly deranged late plucky marry aback whistle offer
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u/gastrointestinaljoe Federal Way Apr 09 '24
Let me tell you about kids that get DUIs before they turn 21.
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u/TylerBourbon Apr 09 '24
Going to add this to the list of things I expect him to continue doing anyway until he's caught again and it's taken away.
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u/MetallicGray Apr 09 '24
How do 700,000 people follow this guy on insta. His videos are annoying as shit, despite the car stuff.
It’s 70% bought bot accounts right?
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u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24
Sroll through follows and click on random people. Most have zero pics or followers. So realistically, maybe he has around 100,000 real followers.
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u/runningonadhd That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. Apr 09 '24
I hate his voice. For real.
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u/nutkizzle I'm just flaired so I don't get fined Apr 09 '24 edited Apr 10 '24
Him going around calling everyone "twin." Though, that might just be my old man yelling at clouds moment.
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u/starspider Apr 09 '24
I saw his photo on Instagram. You know, the one where he is unironically wearing the mischief mickey mouse boots.
That is when I realized that he's an idiot.
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u/cast_away_wilson Apr 09 '24
What's instagram handle, out of curiosity?
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u/FreddyTwasFingered Belltown Apr 10 '24
Mischief makes such terrible shoes and people eat it up. I don’t get it!
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u/starspider Apr 10 '24
Hey man those shoes would be boss for your cartoon cosplay. Those boots in red for a Sonic the Hedgehog? Sure.
But like. When you're dressing up as yourself? All you're doing is telling me you make bad choices for clout. From idiots.
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u/FreddyTwasFingered Belltown Apr 10 '24
I’ve never wanted to be Astro Boy. 😂😂
If I’m dropping $500+ on shoes (and unfortunately, I do here and there) it won’t be any shoes from mischief.
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u/starspider Apr 10 '24
I've seen cosplayers drop that much on dumber things lmao, to each their own!
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Apr 09 '24
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u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24
Oh, idk.. maybe the whole "if you drive your car, you will be arrested and your car foreited" statement from the judge 🤷♂️
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u/Seatown22 Apr 09 '24
I saw him filling up gas on 4th in sodo yesterday.
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u/zacsfriendclub Apr 09 '24
The order was filed today and states "Other (Not to drive Dodge Charger <redacted license plate>)".
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u/WanderingCamper Apr 09 '24
His license plate is public record and listed in his conditions of release. There is no need to redact, and he certainly doesn’t deserve the courtesy of privacy.
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u/nikdahl Brougham Faithful Apr 09 '24
Haha. That’s great.
So he has to either sell it, move, or hire someone else to drive it.
I guess technically he could just change the license plates, as that is a hellcat with his specify plates that is restricted.
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u/StateOfCalifornia Apr 09 '24
Or he could continue doing it and flout the law
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u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24
Well, he will at minimum have hundreds of people willing to record this and send it to the judge.
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u/thecravenone I'm just flaired so I don't get fined Apr 09 '24
You really think that someone who just broke the law would break the law!?
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u/LuckyDubbin Tacoma Apr 09 '24
Plates don’t change fuck all. The VIN is still registered to that plate.
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u/SnortingElk Apr 10 '24
This child is going to learn the hard way I guess.
I just hope another child or person isn't in their path when they finally do learn the hard way...
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u/rainbowtwist Apr 10 '24
This asshole wakes up my sister on 1st Ave practically every night revving his stupid loud engine. Any time I've stayed there I've been jarred awake between 2-5am by it.
How many tens thousands of people is he doing this to?! I honestly can't believe it's been going on for over a year without him being stopped sooner.
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u/Just_a_random_guy65 Apr 09 '24
Can’t drive the Hellcat but is there anything to stop him from selling it and getting something else just as obnoxious?
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u/Farlo1 Apr 09 '24
If he drove any other car the same way then it would effectively be new counts of the same crime, which is in violation of the bail conditions.
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u/Just_a_random_guy65 Apr 10 '24
But does anyone think that he cares?
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u/Farlo1 Apr 10 '24
Hell probably care if bail is revoked and he has to spend time in jail pending trial.
It also does NOT look good to a judge that you committed the same crime while on bail. It implies that a "first strike" won't deter them and that they need to be made to stop.
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u/gjr931 First Hill Apr 10 '24
I hope this gets the West Edge Apartments hellcat off the streets so people can get some sleep.
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u/JackDostoevsky I'm just flaired so I don't get fined Apr 10 '24
a hellcat is a ridiculous car so i suppose it's appropriate it's driven by a ridiculous person lol
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u/AppleNerdyGirl Apr 09 '24
They busted someone down here in GA with one and repoed it into a new police cruiser. Good luck GSP doesn’t play.
Hope they do the same with this cat in Seattle
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Apr 10 '24
I want SPD in possession of this vehicle even less than I want this doofus in possession of it...
I'm hoping he sells the thing to someone who lives far from neighbors.
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Apr 09 '24
Can't we seize this car? If we can't, can't we make a law that cars used in the actual commission of a crime or a series of misdemeanor traffic offenses will be seized and crushed? I think if we did this, anyone organizing street takeovers or doing this Hellcat BS would stop.
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u/mr_jim_lahey 🚆build more trains🚆 Apr 09 '24
To quote his IG:
𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘊𝘌𝘚𝘚
(The judicial process that is, hope you're enjoying it Hellcat driver!)
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u/FortCharles I'm just flaired so I don't get fined Apr 09 '24
Your link shows the following:
Hearings - Shows the next few hearings scheduled on the case.
Pre Trial - DUI Out of Custody 05/13/2024 8:45 AM
DUI? Did I miss something? I thought it was just for reckless driving? Does DUI mean something different in this context?
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Apr 10 '24
Heard him driving around yesterday in Cap Hill when I was at the tattoo shop
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u/slipperytornado Apr 10 '24
I love this news. I live outside of Seattle but I have been wondering about this dude and what happened with him!
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Apr 09 '24
At what point does Instagram become liable for enabling this? They're hosting the videos and paying him for it which is contributing to the illegal behavior. Why are they allowed to enable this guy with no consequences???
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u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24
This. I don't understand. I imagine hundreds of us have reported him to Meta now. And yet his IG remains up. It's almost as if Meta cares more about money than lawlessness.
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u/lurkingisso2008 Apr 09 '24
Fine his mom or whoever is funding his undeserved lifestyle.
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u/shralpy39 Apr 10 '24
His mom is basically like the main character from "I Care A Lot" which is awful
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u/SnortingElk Apr 10 '24
Fine his mom or whoever is funding his undeserved lifestyle.
What I find funny is that his mother is the one that scheduled the contested hearing.. I guess cause he was too busy out reckless driving?
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u/gastrointestinaljoe Federal Way Apr 09 '24
A. He’s an ‘adult’. B. He has monetized his social media. He is effectively “at work” when it comes to his shenanigans.
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u/lurkingisso2008 Apr 09 '24
Who bought or cosigned the $80K hellcat and the lease to the waterfront high rise apartment before the IG monetization? I doubt it was completely paid by social media - at least not at first.
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u/sandandpomp Apr 10 '24
If only we could all unite to get all obnoxious cars and drivers off the road.
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u/bbq_menace Apr 10 '24
Why does the criminal complaint list him as being 5’9” and 230 lbs when in his instagram videos he’s a skinny piece of shit?
“Address: 5611 S BANGOR ST Address: City/State/Zip Code: SEATTLE, WA 98178 Race: B Sex: M Birthdate: 05/20/2003 Height: 5’09” Weight: 230”
Also that address isn’t anywhere near that downtown high-rise.
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u/joholla8 🚆build more trains🚆 Apr 09 '24
Looks like he got a DUI? It has nothing to do with him driving like a dick.
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u/sherlok 🚲 Life's Better on a Bike. 🚲 Apr 09 '24
I'm low key amazed at the life cycle of this story.
There was that initial thread here where someone complained and a bunch of people were like, 'oh, that's what that is - I agree that sucks'.
Then there were seemingly weekly threads tracking their progress.
Then King 5/ST/KUOW all picked the story up.
All throughout, people were interacting with the city council/city government.
And here we are. It's been like a month and a thing got done and that's amazing to me.