14-year-old arrested after e-motorcycle chase with Rancho Cordova police, rangers
A teen operating an e-motorcycle was arrested last month in Rancho Cordova after leading authorities on a chase that reached speeds of 55 mph, authorities said Thursday.
Patrolling Rancho Cordova police officers attempted to pull over the 14-year-old after witnessing him run a stop sign about 4 p.m. Feb. 10 in the area of Dawes Street and Rinda Drive, next to Cordova Gardens Elementary School, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, which contracts for police services in the city.
According to spokesperson Sgt. Ed Igoe, the teen sped away after officers tried to stop him. When the 14-year-old approached the American River Parkway, he slowed to 35 mph before surrendering to Sacramento County park rangers and was as booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of felony evasion.
The teen’s parents were cited for allowing the minor — who is too young to have a license — to operate the vehicle, which Rancho Cordova police described as an e-bike.
“While it may seem like a minor incident of ‘kids being kids’ and a ‘waste of police resources,’” the agency said in a social media post, “the fact remains that failure to properly operate an e-bike on a public roadway constitutes not only a hazard to the operator of the e-bike, but to any other motorist.”
The e-motorcycle was towed, according to a photo posted by Rancho Cordova police. The front of the vehicle features stickers of logos for motorsports and motocross brands, such as Prickly Motorsports, Fox, and Guts Racing, which make products ranging from seat covers to performance upgrade pieces.
According to police logs, another motorbike was stopped in the area of Moraine Circle and Thores Street on Feb. 23.
Under California law, electric bicycles are split into three classes. Class 1 is pedal-assisted with no throttle and speeds capped at 20 mph with assistance. Class 2 is throttle-assisted and stops assisting at 20 mph. Class 3 is pedal-assisted and assistance cuts off at 28 mph.
E-motos, like the one towed on Feb. 10, are electric mopeds, motorcycles and dirt bikes that have much higher top speeds.
Local jurisdictions, including the Folsom Police Department, have identified e-bike use as a growing issue in the community, especially given the ways users can manipulate the vehicles to travel at speeds far exceeding normal capacity. Multiple cities and towns across California have attempted to address the growing popularity of e-bikes and e-motos among teens.
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 3:30 PM.
CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story incorrectly stated the date of the incident.
