Gang of e-bike riders terrorize young families enjoying California pier by hurling fireworks at them, sending petrified children screaming with fear
A group E-bike Riders were filmed firing off illegal fireworks in a busy nightlife district this weekend, almost hitting several children.
It happened Saturday evening near the Hermosa Beach Pier in LA County. Several of the minors involved were arrested before being handed over to their parents.
Several bystanders were injured, police said, but there were no hospitalizations.
A woman was reportedly hit in the face and a man in the head, and a nearby restaurant was evacuated.
The incident comes as teenagers on bikes continue to terrorize the Golden State with street takeovers. Multiple law enforcement agencies have responded to reports of unruly minors driving recklessly on streets as far north as San Francisco.
A group of e-bike riders were filmed setting off illegal fireworks in a busy Hermosa Beach entertainment district this weekend, nearly hitting several children
It happened on Saturday evening near the city’s pier of the same name, with several minors detained before being handed over to their parents.
“It was a loud explosion,” said security guard Beau Bowden, who was standing at the door of Patrick Molloy’s Irish restaurant as the group of boys set off fireworks in front of the busy bars.
“It hurt a lot of people’s eardrums and a lot of it sprayed in the face of a lot of people – including one of our customers,” he continued. NBC4 Los Angeles how people tried to stop the teenagers from leaving.
“An angry mob began to surround this young man,” he recalled.
“I went in and grabbed them to let people know it was under control.”
But when police arrived, the group of at least three people had escaped. Two thought they returned voluntarily and were arrested, police said in a statement.
In it, officers wrote that they were under the impression that the couple were not the ones who set off the fireworks, so they were released to their parents.
However, officials said they believed they had positive identification of the boy responsible – thanks to a video of the incident now circulating on the internet.
It shows flames spraying several small children a few feet away as they and their families frantically flee to get out of the way.
The minor has yet to be arrested.
Several bystanders were injured, police said, but there were no hospitalizations
A woman was reportedly hit in the face and a man in the head, and a nearby restaurant was evacuated
“It hurt a lot of people’s eardrums and sprayed a lot of people in the face – including one of our customers,” local bouncer Beau Bowden NBC 4 Los Angeles
He could be charged with anything from setting off fireworks in a public place to misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon – because of the damage caused to at least one of the revelers.
Local journalism South.bay.responders claimed one woman was hit in the face and the window of the nearby Baked Bear restaurant was also hit.
John Fahmy, a local traveler passing by at the time, was struck by one of the pyrotechnics.
“It hit me right here in the back of my head and partly in my ears,” Fahmy told NBC. “My ears were ringing for a few minutes.”
At the time of writing, it is still unclear how many people were injured, although injuries ranged from tinnitus to burn marks on clothing.
The incident, which remains under investigation, comes days after the city issued an emergency ordinance that gives officers more powers to address e-bike violations and impose fines.
Groups, mostly teenagers, meanwhile, continue to cause problems in the form of assaults, vandalism and driving largely unregulated vehicles on sidewalks, often in coastal communities.
Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach have also been affected, while illegal minibike parades are also causing problems in the Bay Area and cities in between.
John Fahmy, who was passing through at the time, was struck in the back of the head by one of the pyrotechnics
The incident, which remains under investigation, comes days after the city issued an emergency ordinance that gives officers more powers to address e-bike violations and impose fines. Pictured is a procession of an illegal takeover of mini bikes in LA, 20 miles from Hermosa Beach
Pictured is a motorcyclist driving recklessly through Hermosa Beach in May. Video showed him swaying back and forth as he deliberately made skid marks in a street full of other cars
Residents said the problem has become more apparent in recent months, following spikes since the pandemic.
“I’ve seen groups of them messing with people, harassing people, yelling profanities and even beating people up,” Redondo Beach resident Michael Marino said. KTL 5 last month.
‘As a kid you want to mess around and stuff, but I feel like it’s a lot of freedom and responsibility to have something like that [e-bikes] because it actually looks like a motorcycle.”
“It doesn’t seem like they’re picking people who could get them, they’re picking easy targets.”
Last month, an unknown motorcyclist caused chaos as he rode recklessly through the streets of Hermosa Beach, swaying back and forth as he deliberately made skid marks in a street full of other cars.
Meanwhile, last week’s emergency order did little to deter the group seen Saturday who began setting off fireworks around 8:30 PM PST.
Bowden said, “It didn’t seem to do much good, at least not right away, because the kids were right back at it, their usual antics.”
Anticipating a summer spike and the upcoming July 4 holiday, Hermosa Beach police stepped up enforcement on e-bikes in May, seizing about a dozen illegal electric motorcycles.
“I think the parents should be held responsible to some extent,” the bouncer added of the phenomenon, which also appears to be happening in eastern Florida.
Anticipating a summer spike and the upcoming July 4 holiday, Hermosa Beach police stepped up enforcement on e-bikes in May, seizing about a dozen illegal electric motorcycles.
Police said they believe they have identified the minor who set off the fireworks in the recent incident, although he has yet to be arrested. An investigation is already underway
“They spend thousands of dollars on these e-bikes and let their kids run free,” he continued, as police continue to try to catch up on the new form of misconduct.
Participants usually ride in large groups and often take part in unsanctioned, traffic-calming displays often referred to as “street takeovers.”
E-bikes, minibikes and regular bicycles participate, with riders often younger than 18 years old.
This makes it more difficult to deter the activity, as arrests for minor crimes involving minors are very rare.
More serious cases, like Saturday’s, could warrant charges, police said.
Currently, electric vehicles are not allowed to drive on sidewalks, plazas and lawns in Hermosa Becah and LA.
There is also a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, with dissidents facing fines of up to $1,000. Police are investigating the recent incident.
