Seattle’s ‘Belltown Hellcat’ Is Arrested and Barred From Instagram

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.