Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer charged six more parents with child endangerment charges for allegedly letting their children ride illegal e-motorcycles, marking the latest in a series of similar charges in the area.
In a news release from the DA's Office, prosecutors said their task force dedicated to cracking down on the illegal activity has resulted in charges against 12 parents. The news comes just a day after similar charges were filed against the parents of a 13-year-old Garden Grove boy who died while riding an e-moto in May. Earlier this year, the DA also filed charges against an Aliso Viejo mother, who faces more than seven years in prison, after her 14-year-old son crashed into an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran, resulting in his death in April. In August, Spitzer's office charged a Yorba Linda father with felony child endangerment for a crash that left his then 12-year-old son with severe injuries after he was hit by a car when he allegedly ran a red light.
According to Spitzer's office, injuries connected to e-bikes and e-motos are the "number one reason" children in Orange County end up in the emergency room. In the last four years, injuries have jumped more than 430% across Southern California.
"We don't want to have to prosecute parents – we want to save kids' lives," said a statement from Spitzer. "When parents refuse to parent and tell their kids 'no' when it comes to riding something that is dangerous and illegal, then I have no choice but to hold parents accountable and file criminal charges. Kids are getting seriously injured and killed and I refuse to allow another child to be hurt or killed because I didn't do everything I could to send a message that these vehicles are not child's play. If you're going to hand the keys to a deadly weapon to your child, then be prepared to face the consequences of your actions."
New charges include those against Yorba Linda father Alex Li, who allegedly allowed his11-year-old son to ride an e-moto with a 1200-watt motor. In June, Li's son suffered broken bones and an arterial bleed after he collided with a pickup truck. If convicted as charged, Li faces up to one year in Orange County Jail for his misdemeanor count of child endangerment.
Spitzer's office charged Yorba Linda mother Maria Roehling with one felony count of child endangerment and an infraction for letting a child under 18 drive a motor vehicle without a license. Her charges come in connection with a May 23 incident during which her 8-year-old son was "speeding on his E-Moto capable of going speeds more than 47 miles per hour when he was hit by a pickup truck in Yorba Linda." If convicted as charged, Roehling faces up to six years in a state prison.
"The 9-year-old's Instagram accounts show him doing wheelies on the E-Moto on residential streets and posting about a crash he had on the E-Moto just a few weeks before being hit by the pickup truck," the DA's Office release said.
Prosecutors have also charged Dan Rezmives with one misdemeanor count of child endangerment, one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and an infraction for allowing a child under 18 to drive a motor vehicle without a license. He faces up to one year in prison if convicted of those charges, which are connected to an incident on March 22, during which an Orange Police Department officer allegedly saw his son riding a Surron Light Bee E-Moto on a public street, while Rezmives was riding a bicycle.
"The officer had previously warned Rezmives and the 12-year-old that it was illegal to operate an E-Moto on city streets," the release said. "The Surron, which Rezmives claimed was a Christmas present for his son, is capable of going up to 50 miles per hour."
Two Newport Beach parents, Hulin Guo and Xiaomin Wang, each face up to a year in prison after they were each charged with misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, as well as allowing a child under 18 to drive a motor vehicle without a license. Prosecutors said both parents were "repeatedly warned" of the dangers for allowing their 17-year-old son to ride an e-moto, which had been impounded at least twice.
The charges stem from a May 9 incident during which the couple's teenage son led Newport Beach police on a pursuit on his Surron E-Moto, "while driving around pedestrians in sidewalks and driving the wrong direction on public streets after refusing to pull over for a traffic stop."
Though police ended the chase at the time, they later identified the boy as the e-moto rider after serving a search warrant at their home.
Prosecutors also said that on Halloween in 2024, the couple's son, who was 15 at the time, was tackled off his e-moto by an officer after he and another boy were spotted riding recklessly and doing wheelies on residential streets filled with trick-or-treaters.
"When the boy's parents came to the police station to pick up their son, they were reminded by officers of the dangers of allowing their son to ride the E-Moto," the DA's office said. "On September 23, 2023 an officer found the couple's son hiding in the bushes after he and other children riding E-Motos ignored the officer's amplified commands to stop following reports of reckless riding."
Tuan Nguyen was charged with one misdemeanor count of child endangerment for an April 8 incident, during which is 13-year-old son allegedly led Garden Grove police on a pursuit while speeding and running red lights while riding a Surron Light Bee X, prosecutors said. At times, the boy also allegedly drove the wrong way in traffic after he refused to pull over for officers.
The pursuit ended when the boy crashed the e-moto into a police car, the release said.
Jose De Jesus Ramirez Barragan, 33, was charged with one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and faces up to one year in prison after he allegedly allowed his 15-year-old brother to ride his e-motorcycle.
"When La Palma police attempted to pull the 15-year-old over, he refused and instead ignored the officer's amplified commands and began a police pursuit while driving 40 miles per hour, running red lights, and nearly crashing into several cars before losing control and crashing into several bushes," the release said. "
