Crime & Safety
Parents Put On Alert As 13-Year-Old Charged For Dirt Bike Misuse
A 13-year-old boy was charged after police said officers saw dirt bikes and e-bikes speeding through downtown Bethesda.
BETHESDA, MD — After a 13-year-old boy was charged for recklessly using a dirt bike in downtown Bethesda, Montgomery County Police is putting parents on notice.
Police said in a release that the boy was arrested and charged after officers were notified on Wednesday, around 6 p.m., of a group of kids misusing dirt bikes and electric bikes near the intersection of Arlington Road and Bethesda Avenue.
At the scene, officers saw individuals coming close to hitting several pedestrians in the area and holding up traffic.
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Although the group did eventually disband, video shared from the incident showed one of the dirt bike riders — the 13-year-old charged in the case — circling back, driving directly toward a responding officer.
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Investigators said the boy not only resisted arrest, but he also shouted racial epithets at officers after he was removed from the bike.
Additional officers were required to help detain the teenager.
The boy was ultimately released to the custody of his mother after police charged him with the following offenses:
- Disorderly conduct
- Resisting arrest
- Driving without a license
- Driving an unregistered motor vehicle
- Reckless and negligent driving
- Failure to obey traffic control devices
Authorities said the incident happened as the department has seen a sharp increase in complaints about teenagers speeding on electric bikes and dirt bikes. Teens, police said, were reported driving on "sidewalks, running red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road, and ignoring traffic laws."
"In some cases, they block traffic and try to get officers to chase them. When officers attempt traffic stops, the riders speed away," the department said in a release.
As the charged teen had neither a driver's license nor a registered bike, police issued a reminder to parents that any vehicle with an engine of more than 50cc must be registered and that its operator must be licensed.
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