Summary
The problematicYouTubecreator Squeeze Benz, also known as Antonio Ginestri, has been arrested for the second time. Ginestri is known for allegedly posting his illegal street racing onYouTubeand went viral in May 2024 with his first arrest, involving a hit-and-run caught on a livestream.
The 19-year-old New York-based influencer has been creating content based around street racing and breaking road safety laws since January 2023 and has garnered an audience of over one million people across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Whilesome content creators end up in accidents, Ginestri’s content is intentionally oriented around breaking the law and evading officers. His infamous hit-and-run was caught live on stream in April 2024 through the controversial streaming platform Kick by the streamer in his passenger seat, N3on. Shortly after this incident, N3on’s stream was shut down, and authorities detained Ginestri in May. This arrest also touched upon assault charges, as he allegedly punched a man in the face at the Steinway Deli in Long Island City in February 2024. Additionally, in March 2024, he paid $3000 in fines after pleading guilty to owning a stolen motorcycle.
Already with a history of run-ins with the law, as of July 2024, Ginestri has been tied to a string of burglaries and other crimes as a suspected perpetrator.According to Dexerto, these offenses, such asfleeing from law enforcement, took place in February 2024, leading to his current arrest. These incidents took place across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Despite obscuring his face on social media, the luxury cars he uses in his content are instantly recognizable. His mugshot from May was also publicly available.
Alleged Evidence and Charges Against Squeeze Benz
Allegedly, the car he drove was a stolen gray BMW x7 with a fogged-out license plate, which is a law-evading product he boldly advertises on his Instagram page. He has recorded himself doing doughnuts around police cars and speeding away from law enforcement in this very car and posted these videos on his three social media accounts. Police used these videos and Ginestri’s former arrest to link him to one of the three suspectscaught on cameracommitting the purported robberies.
Also connected to the stolen car and detained as one of the suspects is anunnamed juvenile16-year-old who was involved in Ginestri’s prior arrest, and is the reason Ginestri also faces charges of employing a juvenile in the commission of a crime. Ginestri is currently being held in Bergen County Jail in New Jersey, with no updates to hisYouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. The status of the minor and third suspect are currently unknown.
