Parents arrested, force used on young teen in Gilbert e-bike dragnet

The Brief

  • Gilbert police conducted a targeted traffic enforcement sweep amid an influx of complaints about dangerous e-bike activity.
  • The operation netted 10 traffic stops, 11 towed vehicles, seven citations and six arrests, which included two parents.
  • Locals documented escalating behavior online, including accounts of riders hurling items at moving cars and trapping teenagers with fireworks.

GILBERT, Ariz. The Gilbert Police Department launched a targeted traffic enforcement operation in the Power Ranch community following a wave of resident complaints detailing dangerous, illegal and disruptive behavior involving teenagers riding e-bikes and e-motorcycles in shared neighborhood spaces.

The aggressive police response on May 20 came amid escalating neighborhood safety concerns documented on social media, including a report of juvenile riders throwing objects at passing vehicles near Ranch House Parkway. Another community post detailed a harrowing encounter where a group of boys on e-bikes allegedly trapped two teenage girls in an elementary school parking lot, threatened them with lit fireworks and shattered their car’s side mirror before fleeing.

By the numbers:

In a statement to FOX 10, GPD Sgt. Jordan Truckenbrod confirmed that officers targeted the community’s shared areas to curb the unsafe activity. The single-day operation resulted in 10 traffic stops, 11 vehicle tows and seven citations.

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