Gang of e-bike riders terrorize families in LA by hurling fireworks (2024)

A group of E-bike riders were filmed launching illegal fireworks into a crowded entertainment district this weekend, nearly hitting several children.

It happened near Los Angeles County's Hermosa Beach Pier Saturday night, and saw several of the minors involved detained before being handed over to their parents.

Several bystanders were injured, cops said - but there were no hospitalizations.

A woman was reportedly hit in the face and a man in the head, and a restaurant nearby was evacuated.

The incident comes as teens on bikes continue to terrorize the Golden State with street takeovers.Multiple law enforcement agencies have responded to reports of unruly minors riding recklessly in the streets, as far north as San Francisco.

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'It was a loud explosion,'said security guard Beau Bowden, whowas working the door at Patrick Molloy's Irish restaurant when the group of boys lit the firework in front of the busy bars.

'It hurt a lot of people's eardrums and a lot of it sprayed a lot of people in the face - including one of our customers,' he went on, telling NBC 4 Los Angeles how people tried to stop the teens from leaving.

'An angry mob started to surround this young man,' he recalled.

'I got in there, I grabbed a hold of them to let people know that, you know, it's under control.'

But the time cops arrived, the group of at least three had gotten away - thoughttwo voluntarily returned and were detained, cops said in a statement.

In it, officers wrote that they were under the impression the pair weren't the ones who set off the fireworks - so they were released to their parents.

Officials, however, said they believed they had a positive ID on the boy responsible - thanks tovideo of the incident now circulating on the internet.

Blasts of flames are seen spraying feet away from several small children, as they and their families frantically flee to get out of the way.

The minor has yet to be arrested.

He could be facing charges anywhere from a misdemeanor of lighting a firework in a public place to felony assault with a deadly weapon - due to the damage done to at least one of the revelers.

Local journalism account south.bay.responders alleged one woman was hit in the face, and that the window of the nearby Baked Bear restaurant was hit as well.

John Fahmy, a local passing through at the time, was struck by one of the pyrotechnics.

'It hit me in the back of my head right here and partially the back of my ears,' Fahmy told NBC. 'My ears were ringing crazy for a few minutes.'

As of writing, it remains unclear how many were hurt - though injuries ranged from ringing ears to burn marks on clothes.

The incident, still under investigation, comes days after the city enacted an emergency ordinance allowing officers more authority to crack down on e-bike violations and up fines.

Groups of mostly teens, meanwhile, continue to cause trouble in the form of assaults, vandalism and riding the largely unregulated vehicles on sidewalks, often in coastal communities.

Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach have also been hit, with illegal mini bike processions also causing trouble in the Bay Area, and cities in-between.

Residents said the issue has become more pronounced over the past few months, after spikes since the pandemic.

'I've seen groups of them messing with people, harassing people, yelling profanities and even beating on people,' Michael Marino, a Redondo Beach resident, told KTLA 5 last month.

'You want to mess around as a kid and stuff, but I feel like it's a lot of freedom and responsibility to have one of those [e-bikes] because it's basically like a motorcycle.'

'It seems like they don't pick on people who would be able to take them - they'll pick easy targets.'

Last month, an unidentified biker caused mayhem while riding recklessly though the streets of Hermosa Beach swaying back and forth while intentionally making skid marks along a street filled with other cars.

Meanwhile, last week's emergency ordinance did little to deter the group seen Saturday, who started setting off the fireworks around 8:30pm PST.

Bowden said'It didn't seem to do much good, at least right away, because the kids were right back at it, their usual antics,'

Anticipating a spike for the summer and the still-to-come Fourth of July holiday,Hermosa Beach Police ramped up enforcement on e-bikes in May, impounding about a dozen illegal electric motorcycles in the process

'I think the parents need to be held accountable to some degree,' the bouncer added of the phenomenon, which has also been seem as far east as Florida.

'They're spending thousands of dollars on these e-bikes and letting their kids roam free,' he continued, as cops continue to try to catch up with the new form of misconduct.

Participants tend to ride in large groups, often participating in unsanctioned, traffic stopping displays often referred to as 'street takeovers.'

E-bikes, minibikes, and regular bicycles take part, with riders often below the age of 18.

This makes deterring the activities more difficult, as arrests for minor offenses involving juveniles are few and far between.

More serious ones, like the one seen Saturday, could warrant charges, cops said.

Currently, the electric vehicles are banned from being ridden on sidewalks, plazas, and grass areas in Hermosa Beach and LA.

A 15-mile-per-hour speed limit is also in place, with dissidents facing fines of up to $1,000. Cops are looking into the recent incident.