--- title: "Alleged Street Racer Squeeze.Benz Busted After Evading Police for Months" description: "A viral NYC-area driver who made a name \"swimming\" through traffic at absurd speeds is now in custody, police say." date: "2024-05-22" modified: "2024-05-22" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/alleged-street-racer-squeeze-benz-busted-after-evading-police-for-months" categories: - "News" --- # Alleged Street Racer Squeeze.Benz Busted After Evading Police for Months ![]() *Squeeze.Benz* YouTuber and social media star Squeeze.Benz racked up millions of views over the course of several months by getting into [high-speed chases]() with police and successfully evading them. Mister Benz even invited fellow YouTuber [Tommy G]() to tag along, showing off their techniques but never their face, name, or location. Today, police from Newark, New Jersey, and the New York Police Department believe they've apprehended the individual behind the exploits. "'Squeeze.benz' is in custody, thanks to NY’s Finest. One of the most prolific street racers in NYC can no longer treat the Big Apple like the Indy 500," NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry wrote in [an X post](). https://twitter.com/NYPDDaughtry/status/1793002356822393330 [Authorities arrested 19-year-old Antonio Ginestri on Tuesday](), whom they believe to be Squeeze.Benz. Ginestri is accused of avoiding police for months, while intentionally getting into high-speed chases and filming it for social media clout. However, Ginestri's luck seemed to run out when he got into a chase with Newark police while driving a black [BMW]() in April, which may well be the footage Squeeze.Benz posted [here](). "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," said Newark Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé, according to *[News12 New Jersey]()*. Squeeze.Benz is supposedly one member in a group of street racers-turned-police evaders, called the Swim Team. In the interview with Tommy G, members of the Swim Team said that they hit speeds in excess of 150 mph, on public roads while weaving through traffic, every day. "Your 50 or 60 is my 100," an unnamed, masked individual said in that video. They don't consider themselves criminals, either. "It's funny saying this but we're not criminals. We have real life jobs, we have insurance on our cars, we pay for our cars," one Swim Team member said. [In a video with YouTuber N3on](), Squeeze.Benz either taps or gets real close to striking a taxi while behind the wheel of a [Lamborghini Urus](), before getting heavily rear-ended by a Lexus and fleeing the scene. They also claim to have been pursued by police helicopters on multiple occasions. Ginestri is currently charged with eluding police, but it's unclear if additional charges will be added. [Something similar happened to a Hellcat owner recently](), who faces charges stemming from several social media videos of him recklessly speeding in public. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dgdVRndfqg&t=921s *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()