Parents on Trial for Kids’ Crime

Judge's gavel resting on a blue sticky note — Photo: bangoland / Shutterstock

California prosecutors just put parents on the legal hook for kids’ illegal, high-powered e-moto riding that ends in tragedy.

Story Snapshot

Orange County prosecutors charged a mother after her 14-year-old’s e-moto crash killed an 81-year-old man.
The District Attorney alleges repeated warnings about illegal riding before the crash.
The case tests long-standing California rules on a parent’s duty to control a dangerous minor.
Rising e-bike and e-moto injuries push safety law from theory to courtrooms.

What Happened And Why It Now Matters

The Orange County District Attorney charged Tommi Jo Mejer with felony child endangerment after her 14-year-old son, riding an electric motorcycle, struck and critically injured 81-year-old Ed Ashman in Lake Forest. Prosecutors later added felony involuntary manslaughter when Ashman died. The office says Mejer had been warned about illegal and unsafe riding before the crash. The charging documents also list accessory after the fact and related misdemeanors tied to the teen’s conduct and access to the vehicle.

Prosecutors frame the case around knowledge and control. They argue Mejer knew her son rode a powerful, unlicensed machine on public roads, despite warnings, and still allowed access. That theory fits California’s parental duty rule: when a parent knows a child poses a danger and can control the behavior, the parent must act with reasonable care to prevent harm. The state is not inventing a new duty for e-motos; it is applying an old duty to a new machine with car-like speeds and zero training.

How California Law Reaches The Parent, Not Just The Teen

California courts have long said parents must use reasonable care to control a minor to prevent harm to others when they know of the risk and can intervene. Jury instructions break this down into simple questions: Did the parent know or have reason to know the child could cause harm? Did the parent have the chance and ability to control the child? Did the parent fail to use reasonable care? If prosecutors prove prior warnings and continued access to an illegal e-moto, a jury may view that as crossing the line.

This is not about punishing accidents. It is about willful neglect of obvious danger. Conservative common sense says freedom needs guardrails when risk to others spikes. A 14-year-old on an overpowered, unregistered electric motorcycle, on public streets, checks every risk box. When adults ignore warnings, the law steps in. Personal responsibility does not end at your driveway; it begins there, especially when the “toy” weighs as much as a small dirt bike and moves like a moped.

Why E-Motos Change The Risk Math At Home And On The Street

Electric two-wheelers blur lines. Many parents hear “e-bike” and picture a pedal bike with a boost. But class systems cap speeds at 20 or 28 miles per hour, and set helmet and age rules, while more powerful machines operate more like motorcycles and can trigger licensing, registration, and equipment rules. Youth injuries have surged as these machines spread, and local health officials warn that speed, mass, and riding behavior raise severe trauma risks for kids and bystanders.

Orange County (California) District Attorney doesn’t want to prosecute parents for allowing their children to illegally ride E-Motos, but he is.

Actions have consequences, District Attorney Spitzer told CBS’ Evening News’ Natalie Morales in a sit-down interview to explain how… pic.twitter.com/UZJWWC8muw

— OCDA Todd Spitzer (@OCDAToddSpitzer) October 23, 2026

Enforcement lags because these devices look like bicycles from a distance, yet outrun them up close. Some models ship with “off-road” modes or easy hacks that defeat speed limits. That places the burden first on parents. Helmets for minors are mandatory. Age limits exist for faster classes. Roads and sidewalks each have rules. The basic test still applies: would you hand a car key to a seventh grader? If not, why hand over a throttle that can match city traffic?

What This Case Signals To Parents Everywhere

This prosecution is a warning shot with legal teeth. The District Attorney tied charges to clear notice, illegal use, and a deadly result. That mix puts the case on firm ground under established parental duty law, not a novel theory. Parents who buy or allow access to high-powered e-motos must set limits, secure the machine, and enforce rules. Failing that, the criminal justice system is now prepared to do the enforcing for them—after the damage is done.