3 alleged organizers of massive Carroll County drag meetup arrested

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. - At least three people investigators believe organized a massive car meetup in Carroll County over the weekend have been arrested, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office has confirmed with FOX 5. 

Video posted on social media shows a car appearing to plow into people in the crowd in the Kennedy Estates subdivision on Saturday afternoon. 

"It really is a miracle no one was injured, that we're aware of," said Ashley Hulsey, spokesperson for the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. "There were massive amounts of vehicles, people coming into the area to do burnouts, lay drag, street racing." 

Hulsey said there were about 1,000 people and 500 cars.  

She said they even charged admission as the line of cars into the subdivision snaked down the Bankhead Highway. 

On Monday, FOX 5 encountered people gathered at the same spot laying drag and doing donuts. 

"We just had a legal event," said one of the onlookers, who said his name was Kevin Hill. "Everyone had fun, they tried to say that we had illegal stuff out here, they don’t even know if it was illegal or not, could’ve been fake." 

Hulsey said that "illegal stuff" included a gun. 

"There were no permits, it was a mass gathering and that is against the law," she said.  

Deputies say when they busted the meet-up, hundreds moved to Villa Rica, some at speeds more than 100 miles per hour. 

On Friday, they got tipped off about the event and warned the organizers to cancel it, but they didn’t. 

They’ve now charged 33-year-old Preston Bailey and 43-year-old Reshad Bailey, both of Carrollton, with promoting a drag event, laying drag, and violating county gathering and noise ordinances.  

Tariq Gallien (Carroll County Sheriff's Office)

Tariq Gallien was charged on Tuesday with promoting an unsanctioned event, laying drag, violation of mass gathering county ordinance, and county noise ordinance.

One neighbor, who didn’t want to identify herself for fear of retribution, says she was told deputies couldn’t do anything because the gathering was on private property. 

"I’ve been concerned with people getting hurt, with large crowds," she said. "They’re all over the area, flying up and down the road." 

Hulsey said, although it was on private property, the gathering was still illegal. 

"If you go through those proper channels and you use a public venue when you get those things set, the parameters are there, we have no problem with that," Hulsey said. "This was not one of those cases." 

Those who spoke with FOX 5 expressed an interest in doing it all again, but next time with a permit. 

Deputies, Georgia State Troopers, and Villa Rice police officers arrested more than a dozen people they believe were connected with the gathering on Saturday, including a man wanted out of Minnesota on felony aggravated assault and robbery charges.