Formerly Black Trash
Philosopher, Connoisseur, Future Legend
Seattle’s ‘Belltown Hellcat’ Is Arrested and Barred From Instagram
After months of roaring around the city in a souped-up Dodge Charger, drawing furious complaints and unpaid fines, Miles Hudson was led out of court on Monday in handcuffs.
A man who for months has infuriated Seattle residents with his raucous driving and late-night social media escapades was ordered into custody on Monday and prohibited from posting to his vast following on Instagram.
Miles Hudson, 21, known in Seattle as the “Belltown Hellcat,” has faced a series of escalating legal troubles after spending many nights roaring through downtown streets, the explosive backfires from his Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT shaking windows and rattling nerves. Separately, a woman accused him of stalking her and sending explicit images of her to other people.
At a hearing on Monday where Mr. Hudson appeared wearing a facial covering, Magistrate Judge Seth Niesen ordered him taken into custody, setting bail at $5,000 for the domestic stalking case and $2,500 for the reckless driving case.
He also barred Mr. Hudson from posting on his Twitch and Instagram accounts.
“If there are any posts from those accounts, it’s a violation of this court’s order,” the judge said, before a court marshal placed handcuffs on Mr. Hudson and led him out of the courtroom.
Mr. Hudson has built a following of more than 750,000 on Instagram. Many of his videos show him driving Seattle’s streets at nights, the car revving and backfiring. At least one video shows Mr. Hudson exceeding 100 miles per hour on downtown streets. Residents have repeatedly complained, saying the noise, which often sounds like gun shots, is keeping them awake at night.
City officials at first responded with citations, fines and a lawsuit.
But Mr. Hudson seemed to relish his growing notoriety. In a video interview posted in recent days, he says that those bothered by the noise should consider relocating to higher units. And he has an answer for people who complain that his vehicle is waking their pets or children.
“I genuinely don’t care,” he says.
During a traffic stop this year, a police officer pleaded with Mr. Hudson to take his vehicle to a racetrack. Mr. Hudson protested, saying that his street driving had earned him a large Instagram following. “I’ve turned it into a career,” he told the officer, according to a video released by the city.
The city persisted and, in response to the rising legal pressure, Mr. Hudson said he was working to modify his vehicle. Some recent videos show other people at the wheel of the Hellcat.
In the meantime, his other legal troubles began resurfacing, including charges in two domestic cases. In one of them, he was accused of assaulting his mother in the suburb of Renton. His jail sentence in those cases was suspended, but the court is now revisiting it amid his other legal troubles.
The stalking case filed last month came after Mr. Hudson’s ex-girlfriend reported being harassed by him; she says that Mr. Hudson showed up at her workplace and left constant messages. She also filed a complaint alleging that he had sent explicit video of her to an ex-boyfriend.
That case is still pending, but on Monday the judge directed that Mr. Hudson be taken into custody, at least until he could post bail. He also ordered him not to contact the woman or go within 1,000 feet of her home or workplace.
Mr. Hudson entered a plea of not guilty on Monday in the stalking case. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.
Not a game.
