If you're a parent in Orange County with a child who rides an e-bike or e-motorcycle, there's a new legal reality worth understanding. The Orange County District Attorney's office, led by Todd Spitzer, has launched a dedicated unit focused specifically on e-bike and e-motorcycle cases involving children — and it's not just investigating the kids.
According to recent reporting, the office currently has more than two dozen open investigations into parents, with charges already filed against at least four. This is a meaningful shift in how these accidents are being handled, and it's worth every Orange County parent understanding exactly what's driving it.
The Cases That Triggered This Enforcement Push
Two cases in particular illustrate what this unit is targeting. In one, the mother of a 14-year-old boy has been charged after her son was allegedly involved in an e-motorcycle collision that killed an elderly pedestrian. In another, a Yorba Linda father, Richard Eyssallenne, pleaded not guilty to felony child endangerment and abuse charges after prosecutors allege he purchased his 12-year-old son an e-motorcycle and helped him illegally modify it to go faster. The boy reportedly ran a red light and was critically injured when he was struck by a car.
These cases share a common thread: allegations that a parent either knowingly provided a vehicle that exceeded legal limits for a minor, or actively helped modify a legal vehicle into an illegal one. That combination — parental knowledge plus a resulting serious injury — appears to be the threshold this unit is focused on.
Why Orange County, and Why Now
E-bike and e-motorcycle related injuries among children have surged nationally, and California doesn't currently have a statewide minimum age requirement for lower-powered e-bikes, unlike many other states that have moved to require minimum ages of 15 or 16 for any e-bike use. This regulatory gap, combined with a rise in serious injuries, appears to have prompted Orange County prosecutors to pursue accountability through existing child endangerment law rather than wait for new state legislation.
It's worth noting this approach isn't universal even within California, and it's drawn direct pushback. Family First Attorneys' Mitchell Krems, who represents one of the parents charged under this initiative, was quoted in national reporting calling the charges against his client "absurd" and describing his client as being made a "scapegoat." That case remains pending, and nothing here should be read as a final determination of guilt or innocence — but it reflects a genuine legal debate about whether individual parents should bear criminal responsibility for a much broader gap in how these vehicles are marketed, sold, and regulated.
What Triggers an Investigation
Based on the cases that have become public, this unit appears to focus its attention on incidents involving serious injury or death, evidence that a vehicle exceeded legal e-bike classifications or was modified to do so, and some indication that a parent was aware of, or participated in, the purchase or modification of a non-compliant vehicle.
A family whose child had a minor fall on a properly classified, unmodified e-bike is operating in a very different risk category than a family involved in a serious collision on a modified, high-powered vehicle. Understanding which category your situation falls into matters significantly if you're ever contacted by this unit.
What Orange County Parents Should Do Now
If your child rides an e-bike or e-motorcycle, take the time now — before any accident — to confirm exactly what class of vehicle you own, whether it has been modified in any way, and whether your child's use of it complies with California's age and speed requirements for that class. This isn't just a safety precaution; given the current enforcement climate in Orange County, it's a meaningful legal safeguard.
If you've already been contacted by the district attorney's office, a detective, or an investigator regarding your child's e-bike, speak with an attorney before providing any statement about the vehicle's purchase, modification history, or your own knowledge of its capabilities.