A couple of adults and 11 juveniles were placed under arrest after allegedly driving illegal mini electric motorcycles through the streets. One of the juveniles is accused of attempting to flee from the police while driving their e-bike down a stairwell.
The Grand Junction Police Department (GJPD) shared that the incident occurred on Wednesday, August 5. At around 1 p.m., the police department received reports of several motorists riding mini e-bikes on a roadway.
These motorists were, in fact, juveniles. They were accused of riding the bikes, which are non-street-legal vehicles in Colorado, and of running a red light at N 12th Street and Elm Avenue.
This display of reckless driving almost caused a crash, the GJPD said. Therefore, officers actively began looking for the bikers in the area, but they were long gone.
Parking Garage Response
Officers, however, received support from the local community. Several subsequent reports helped them locate the juvenile group at the Road Avenue parking garage.
The GJPD quickly responded to the scene. All of the bikers involved were taken into custody.
Their arrests didn’t go swiftly, though, as many of the suspects attempted to flee the area. None of them were successful.
Juveniles Try To Flee
The police department accused several of the juveniles of ignoring traffic signals during their attempt to flee from the police. They were also accused of speeding.
One rider in particular attempted to flee by riding their mini e-bike down a parking garage stairwell. No injuries were reported, and the rider failed to flee from the cops.
In total, 11 juveniles were arrested, all charged with reckless driving before being released to a parent or guardian. Their reported ages range from 11 to 16 years old.
Adults Charged
In addition, two adults were also arrested following the incident. These are 22-year-old Cody Nation and 23-year-old Kevin Espinoza.
Nation was arrested for reckless driving and 11 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was later released on a summons.
Espinoza, meanwhile, was transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility. He was charged with 11 counts of second-degree contributing to the delinquency of a minor, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrest, reckless driving, driving under restraint, and no insurance in possession.