An Orange County father is now facing child endangerment charges tied to a crash that seriously injured his 12-year-old son last year, one prosecutors say never should have happened in the first place. The case centers on an e-motorcycle that was both illegal for the boy to ride and illegally modified to go much faster than allowed.
According to CBS News Los Angeles, the crash happened on July 20, 2025, when Richard John Eyssallenne’s son, now 13, ran a red light while riding the e-motorcycle and was struck by a car. Prosecutors say the boy should have been at least 16 with a driver’s license to legally operate the vehicle, which is classified as an e-motorcycle rather than an e-bicycle.
During Eyssallenne’s preliminary hearing this week, prosecutors showed dash camera footage of the crash, which shows the boy speeding through the intersection before colliding with a car and being thrown into the air. He suffered a fractured skull and a broken leg in the collision.
Eyssallenne is now facing felony child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Prosecutors Say the Bike Was Modified To Go Faster
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office claims Eyssallenne helped his son modify the e-motorcycle to increase its speed. The bike, a 2024 Talaria XXX, is legally capped at a maximum output of 750 watts, but prosecutors say it had been altered to reach a peak output of around 5,000 watts.
Beyond the modifications, investigators found the pedals had been swapped for motorcycle pegs and were no longer fully operable, and that the built-in governor limiting the bike to 20 mph had been rerouted, allowing it to bypass the speed restriction entirely.
A Deputy Testified This Wasn’t the First Incident
Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Kiana Lewis, one of the first responders on scene at the 2025 crash, and she testified during Tuesday’s hearing.
Lewis explained that the same e-bike had been involved in two separate incidents, which raised concerns for her about the parents’ decision-making. Prosecutors also noted that Eyssallenne took his 12 and 10-year-old sons to an e-bike safety presentation in early 2025, just weeks after his son was cited for illegally riding the same e-motorcycle.
The Case Isn’t Over Yet
Eyssallenne has pleaded not guilty to all charges. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison, according to the DA’s Office.
His son, now 13, was expected to testify as a defense witness the following day, despite a public defender’s warning that his testimony could potentially incriminate him.
Commenters Were Shocked by the Father’s Actions
Reactions to the case leaned heavily toward supporting the charges. One commenter said they were glad to see parents being held liable, arguing that accountability might push more parents toward better decision-making.
A few commenters argued that parents should be financially responsible for the damage their kids caused to other vehicles and drivers. Others pointed out that drivers also share responsibility for watching out for young or inexperienced riders on the road.
With his son set to testify next and the case still working its way through court, it remains to be seen how much of the responsibility ultimately falls on Eyssallenne.