MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – Two men were arrested in Marathon, Florida on Friday evening for street racing on U.S. 1. One of the drivers had a young child in the car, unrestrained in a car seat.
Around 7:00 PM, Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies observed a Nissan sedan and a Chevrolet sedan racing northbound near 89th Street, reaching speeds estimated at 80 mph. Deputies stopped both vehicles.
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Yunielkis Junior De Leon, 19, the driver of the Nissan, was charged with street racing. Michael Alvin Joseph Taute, 38, the driver of the Chevrolet, was charged with street racing and child neglect. He also received a citation for not having his 5-year-old passenger properly secured in a car seat.
The child was unharmed and released to the care of a family member. Both suspects were taken to jail, and their vehicles were towed.
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