Prosecutors in Orange County, California, are filing criminal charges against parents accused of letting their children ride electric motorcycles illegally.
District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced additional charges on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, as authorities moved to curb injuries and deaths among underage riders.
The district attorney's office said it has charged at least 12 parents since January 2026.
The cases include an 11-year-old hurt in a collision with a pickup truck, a 9-year-old struck by a truck while speeding, and 13-year-old Benson Nguyen, who died after crashing into a light pole in Garden Grove in May.
Fatal Crash and New Charges
Prosecutors said Nguyen was traveling at 43 mph on an electric motorcycle when he lost control and struck the pole on May 7.
He was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
Authorities also cited earlier incidents in which he allegedly suffered injuries while riding and engaged in dangerous maneuvers, including speeding, running red lights and performing wheelies.
Spitzer said the prosecutions aim to prevent further fatalities.
He told CBS News that he needed to send a message to save other children's lives and encourage parents to take responsibility for their children.
In a statement, Spitzer said prosecutors did not want to pursue criminal cases against parents but believed intervention was necessary when adults failed to stop children from dangerous and illegal riding.
He said parents who refused to set limits left authorities with no choice but to hold them accountable.
Spitzer also said he was a human being who had raised two children and that breaking the law, particularly in serious circumstances, had to carry consequences.
He compared giving a child a powerful electric motorcycle to furnishing a firearm without considering how the child might use it.
He warned against giving children electric bicycles or motorcycles without understanding the risks involved.
Among the newly announced cases, Alex Li of Yorba Linda faces a misdemeanor child endangerment charge after his 11-year-old son collided with a pickup truck while riding an electric motorcycle.
Prosecutors said the vehicle had a 1,200-watt motor, exceeding the 750-watt limit for an electric bicycle.
The child suffered broken bones and an arterial bleed in the June crash.
Li faces up to one year in Orange County Jail if convicted.
Maria Dolores Roehling faces a felony child endangerment charge and an infraction for allegedly allowing her 9-year-old son to drive a motor vehicle without a license.
Prosecutors said the motorcycle could reach speeds exceeding 47 mph when a pickup truck struck the child in Yorba Linda.
They also cited social media posts showing the child performing wheelies on residential streets and discussing an earlier crash.
Roehling faces up to six years in state prison if convicted.
Dan Rezmives was charged after authorities said his 12-year-old son rode a Surron Light Bee electric motorcycle on a public street despite an earlier police warning.
Prosecutors also charged Rezmives with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and cited an infraction involving an unlicensed minor operating a motor vehicle.
The father allegedly described the motorcycle as a Christmas present.
Hulin Guo and Xiaomin Wang each face two misdemeanor charges and an infraction related to their 17-year-old son's alleged dangerous riding.
Prosecutors said the teenager led Newport Beach police on a pursuit in May, traveling above 40 mph, weaving around pedestrians on sidewalks and driving against traffic.
Officers ended the pursuit before stopping him but later identified the rider and served a search warrant at the family's residence.
Authorities also cited two earlier incidents involving the teenager.
In September 2023, officers allegedly found him hiding in bushes after he and other riders ignored commands to stop.
During Halloween in 2024, an officer reportedly pulled him off his motorcycle while he performed wheelies on residential streets crowded with trick-or-treaters.
Prosecutors said the family had received warnings and that the teenager's motorcycles had been impounded twice.
Another case involves Tuan Nguyen, whose 13-year-old son allegedly fled police while riding an electric motorcycle capable of reaching 49 mph.
According to the district attorney's office, the pursuit ended when the teenager crashed into a police vehicle while attempting to escape.
Tuan Nguyen faces a misdemeanor child endangerment charge.
Jose De Jesus Ramirezbarragan was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after allegedly allowing his 15-year-old brother to ride an electric motorcycle.
Prosecutors said the teenager refused police commands to stop, traveled at approximately 40 mph, ran red lights and nearly collided with several vehicles before losing control and crashing into bushes.
The cases follow the fatal crash involving Benson Nguyen, whose parents, Vu Thanh Nguyen, 56, and Hong Cuc Thi Nguyen, 49, both of Santa Ana, were charged with child endangerment.
Authorities alleged that the boy's father bought him a more powerful motorcycle despite an earlier accident in which the teenager broke his leg approximately six months before the fatal collision.
Spitzer said children were suffering serious injuries and dying in these incidents.
He argued that holding parents accountable was necessary to communicate the dangers of allowing minors to operate vehicles illegally.
Injury Data and State Rules
The district attorney's office said electric bicycle and electric motorcycle injuries have become the leading reason children in Orange County visit emergency rooms.
It also reported that injuries in Southern California increased by more than 430% over four years and that more than 125 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries nationwide have been attributed to electric bicycles and motorcycles.
According to the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Record System, children ages 11 to 14 account for 61.7% of electric motorcycle crashes, even though California prohibits children under 16 from riding these vehicles.
Electric motorcycles differ from conventional electric bicycles because they have no pedals and use more powerful motors.
California regulations require electric motorcycles operated on public streets to meet motorcycle licensing, registration, insurance and equipment requirements.
Off-road use is permitted without a license in designated areas or on private property, subject to applicable rules.
In a separate case announced in April, a mother was initially charged with child endangerment and accessory after the fact after her 14-year-old allegedly struck an 81-year-old veteran while riding an electric motorcycle.
Authorities later upgraded the charges to involuntary manslaughter after the man died.
The mother had not entered a plea in that case at the time of the reports.
