A California woman faces an additional charge of involuntary manslaughter after her 14-year-old son struck and killed an 81-year-old man while riding an electric motorcycle, prosecutors said.
Tommi Jo Mejer, from Aliso Viejo in Orange County, was already charged with felony child endangerment. The new charge follows the death of Ed Ashman, a retired US Marine Corps captain, who was hit by the teenager while walking home from his job as a substitute teacher in Lake Forest on 16 April.
Prosecutors alleged that Mejer allowed her son to ride the Surron e-motorcycle illegally despite warnings. “This mother essentially handed her 14-year-old son a deadly weapon, and despite multiple warnings of the dangers, continued to let him illegally ride an e-motorcycle until he finally killed someone,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
Mejer has also been charged with felony accessory after the fact and misdemeanour counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and providing false information to an officer. If convicted on all counts, she could face up to seven years and eight months in prison.
Authorities said that in June 2025 Mejer had called the sheriff's department to complain about photos of her son riding the motorcycle. In a body-camera recording, she admitted buying the vehicle and knowing he rode it recklessly. Deputies warned her she could face criminal charges. Under California law, an e-motorcycle has a motor of more than 750 watts or can exceed 20mph without pedalling, and riders must be at least 16 years old with a motorcycle licence. The boy's bike, a 2025 Surron Ultra Bee, has a top speed of 56mph.
Legal experts say the case reflects a growing trend of holding parents criminally liable for their children's actions, though such prosecutions remain novel. Lawrence Rosenthal, a law professor at Chapman University, noted that unlike firearms, the danger of e-motorcycles may be harder to prove as a clear threat to life.
