FAIRFIELD, N.J. — A YouTube personality known for his high-speed antics across New York City was charged this week in connection with a series of burglaries in New Jersey, just months after being arrested for an unrelated assault in Queens.
Antonio Ginestri, 19, who has gained a substantial following online under the alias “Squeeze.benz,” faces multiple charges, including burglary and conspiracy, after a months-long investigation. Fairfield police announced the charges on Tuesday, linking Ginestri to a string of burglaries that occurred in February.
According to Fairfield Police, officers responded to a burglary at the Speedway gas station on Route 46 East in the early hours of February 6. Surveillance footage revealed a gray SUV fleeing the scene with three individuals inside. Authorities later identified the vehicle as a BMW X7 with stolen New Jersey registration plates, which had been used in similar burglaries across several towns, including Roseland, Secaucus, and Hasbrouck Heights.
The suspects, including Ginestri and a 16-year-old accomplice, were also wanted in connection with other crimes in New York and Connecticut, according to police.
“Ginestri is a well-known social media influencer who goes by the handle ‘Squeeze.Benz,’” said Fairfield Police Public Information Officer Stacy Chiarolanza. “The basis of his channel is to film himself driving hi-end cars in a reckless manner to entice a police response while wearing a full-face helmet to hide his identity. We thank all of the agencies who assisted in putting this case together in order to make an arrest.”
Ginestri’s arrest follows an earlier incident on May 16, when he was taken into custody in Queens. That arrest was tied to a separate assault case stemming from an altercation on February 10 at the Steinway Deli in Long Island City, where the victim was reportedly punched in the head.
