LOS ANGELES, CA – The father of a 13-year-old boy who died in a May e-motorcycle crash in Garden Grove pleaded not guilty Thursday to one felony count of child endangerment and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to prosecutors.
Vu Thanh Nguyen, 56, of Santa Ana, entered the plea Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Orange County Superior Court’s West Justice Center in Westminster. The boy’s mother, Hong Cuc Thi Nguyen, 49, also appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of child endangerment.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges against both parents on Oct. 20 in a news release. The case number is 26WF4151.
A criminal charge is not a conviction, and the allegations remain subject to the court process.
Charges and potential penalties
According to the district attorney’s office, the father faces a maximum of six years in state prison if convicted. The mother faces a maximum of one year in county jail.
Both parents are from Santa Ana. The office also posted a document on the father’s case alongside the Oct. 20 announcement.
The same defense attorney, Joel Garson, represents both parents.
How the crash unfolded
The district attorney’s office said the boy lost control of an E-Ride Pro SS 2.0 e-motorcycle on Magnolia Street near Larson Avenue in Garden Grove just before 10 p.m. on May 7.
Prosecutors said he was traveling 43 mph when he hit a raised center divider. He was thrown from the e-motorcycle and struck a concrete light pole.
The boy was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he died.
Police describe the vehicle
Garden Grove police said after the crash that the e-motorcycle had no pedals, was not street legal and was not an e-bike. Sgt. Nick Jensen said the boy’s death left the family, police and the community asking how to stop such crashes.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer warned in May that parents who know their child is using one of these vehicles will be charged with a crime.
Prosecutors cite warnings and an earlier injury
Prosecutors allege the father bought a faster, more powerful e-motorcycle despite warnings about the boy’s reckless riding. They also allege the purchase came after the boy broke his leg about six months earlier while riding another electric vehicle.
The district attorney’s office said in its news release: “Grief does not erase the decisions that were made by Benson’s parents to continue to allow their untrained and unlicensed 13-year-old to illegally ride an E-Moto after repeated warnings and repeated injuries.”
Defense attorney says parents are grieving
Garson said after the hearing that the parents are still completely grieving the death of their child, who was only 13. He said the public does not understand the family dynamics or the problems the boy had.
Garson also said the e-motorcycle was sold to the parents with no warnings from the retailer and no discussion of how fast it could travel.
District attorney’s e-motorcycle enforcement effort
The case is part of a broader effort by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. On May 13, Spitzer’s office announced a prosecution unit called RIDE SAFELY to review cases involving the illegal use of motorized vehicles.
In that announcement, the office said injuries from e-bikes and e-motorcycles have increased 430% over the last four years in Southern California, with the majority of injuries involving children not legally allowed to ride. It said more than 100 deaths across the United States have been attributed to e-bikes and e-motorcycles, and described children ages 11 to 14 as the majority of crash victims.
On Oct. 21, the office announced charges against six more parents. That brought to 12 the number of parents the office has prosecuted since January for allowing children to illegally ride e-motorcycles. The RIDE SAFELY Unit is handling those cases.
The office has also offered a way for families to give up the vehicles. It held its first e-bike and e-moto buy-back event on Sunday, Sept. 13, offering gift cards of $200 to $1,000 depending on the vehicle’s classification.
Next court date is Jan. 25, 2027
According to initial reports, the next hearing in the case is set for Jan. 25, 2027. Both parents have pleaded not guilty, and neither has been convicted of any charge.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Garden Grove Police Department.
