It was a night that residents of Malba, a quiet enclave in Queens, won’t soon forget. What began as a seemingly routine weekend evening on November 23, 2025, quickly spiraled into chaos, violence, and fear, as dozens of cars descended on the neighborhood, turning its peaceful streets into a scene straight out of a Hollywood action movie. The so-called "street takeover"—a term now all too familiar to city dwellers—brought with it screeching tires, flames lighting up the night, and a level of aggression that left residents shaken and demanding answers.
According to multiple reports, including those from FOX 5 NY, New York Post, and NBC New York, the trouble started just after midnight. Around 12:30 a.m. on November 24, the NYPD received a 911 call reporting possible drag racing near 141st Street and 11th Avenue. But what officers would soon encounter was far more than a few cars speeding down residential roads. As City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino put it, “One hundred maniacs descended upon this neighborhood.”
Witnesses described the scene as nothing short of a war zone. “My window faces the street and I hear all the noise of the cars streaking around,” neighbor Gino Macani told ABC 7. “People weren’t coming out of their house. They were scared. Like I said, you couldn’t get down any of these blocks,” added another resident, Larry Rusch, who works with a private security company. Rusch attempted to intervene by moving a security vehicle into an intersection to disrupt the reckless driving, but his efforts were met with violence. “I moved the car into the middle to slow [the gathering] down, and it did—they kind of started leaving from this street. And then they lit the thing on fire and it just went chaotic again,” Rusch recounted to NBC New York. The security vehicle was torched with a Molotov cocktail, its charred remains towed away by police later that day.
But the burning car was only part of the mayhem. Down the block, a couple in their 50s became the night’s most tragic victims. After confronting trespassers in their driveway, they were violently attacked. The man, identified only as Blake, suffered a fractured nose, fractured shoulder, multiple facial and rib fractures, and a neck injury. “I’m lucky to be standing here,” Blake told NBC New York, visibly shaken but determined to share his story in hopes of preventing a repeat incident. His wife, who tried to defend him, was also assaulted. “They attacked him beyond belief,” Rusch said, describing his friend’s ordeal. “Lucky to be alive, because they attacked him beyond belief.”
The violence left the neighborhood reeling. “Saturday night they declared war on Malba. Those outsiders who came here declared war on this neighborhood,” Councilwoman Paladino declared in videos posted to her social media. Residents agreed, with many expressing disbelief and outrage at both the incident and the response from authorities. “It looked like a war zone. It really looked like a war zone,” Paladino said, echoing the sentiments of those who witnessed the chaos firsthand.
As the dust settled, questions quickly turned to the police response. Some residents who called 911 were reportedly told that the incident was a “quality of life” issue and advised to call 311 instead—a move that many viewed as dismissive and inadequate given the severity of the situation. The NYPD has since stated that it has no record of such a 911 call, but acknowledged that officers initially responded to what was classified as a “drag racing” complaint, arriving at least 23 minutes after the first report. During that time, the violence had already escalated, with a dozen individuals brutalizing the local couple and the security car set ablaze.
In the aftermath, local officials have scrambled to reassure residents and promise action. Councilwoman Paladino has extracted an apology from the NYPD and secured a commitment for increased patrols in Malba, including the assignment of four dedicated police vehicles and additional, undisclosed security measures. “My message to them is you will get caught,” she said, vowing to work closely with police and canvass the neighborhood for information. The NYPD, for its part, says the incident is under investigation, and as of the latest reports, no arrests have been made.
The incident has also reignited debate over how the city handles illegal street takeovers, a trend fueled by social media and popularized by movies like the Fast & Furious franchise. These events, sometimes called “sideshows,” typically involve large groups of drivers—often in stolen or unregistered vehicles—performing dangerous stunts like drifting and donuts in public intersections. While such spectacles have long plagued car-friendly cities like Los Angeles and Detroit, their appearance in New York’s residential neighborhoods is a newer and, for many, deeply unwelcome development.
City leaders are now facing mounting pressure to act. Council members Robert Holden and Kristy Marmorato joined Paladino in condemning the violence, calling it part of a broader pattern of reckless car meetups and street takeovers that have plagued neighborhoods across the city. “What happened in Malba was unreal, but it is the same chaos we see across the city,” Holden told FOX 5 NY. He placed blame on state leadership for what he described as a lack of accountability and consequences for offenders. “In my district, these punks take over our streets while the cops do nothing and there is no punishment thanks to pro-criminal politicians like Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul,” Holden said.
Residents, meanwhile, are demanding concrete changes. Many have called for the installation of traffic circles, speed bumps, and islands to physically deter future takeovers. Others, shaken by the violence, are seeking help to obtain firearm permits for self-protection, with Paladino’s office offering assistance with the application process and legal fees. “We have NEVER had these problems before. Now it’s an epidemic. What changed? We stopped arresting criminals,” Paladino wrote on social media, reflecting a growing sense of frustration and vulnerability among her constituents.
National figures have also weighed in, with former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn urging communities to build stronger partnerships with law enforcement. Yet, for the people of Malba, the focus remains local and immediate: preventing another night like the one that shattered their peace and left lasting scars.
As the NYPD increases patrols and city officials debate new measures, Malba’s residents are left hoping that their neighborhood will once again become a place where quiet nights are the norm, not the exception.
