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The Brief
An Orange County mother faces upgraded charges, including involuntary manslaughter, after her 14-year-old son fatally struck an 81-year-old veteran while riding an e-motorcycle.
Prosecutors allege Tommi Jo Mejer, 51, permitted her son to ride the high-powered 2025 Surron Ultra Bee despite prior police warnings that the vehicle was illegal for a child to operate.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer is seeking a maximum prison sentence of over seven years.
LOS ANGELES - An Orange County mother is facing felony charges after prosecutors say her decision to let her underage son ride a powerful e-motorcycle led to the death of a decorated Vietnam veteran. 

The case marks a sharp escalation in local efforts to hold parents criminally responsible for the illegal use of motorized cycles by minors.
What we know:

Aliso Viejo resident Tommi Jo Mejer, 51, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, and being an accessory after the fact. 
Prosecutors allege that on April 16, 2026, Mejer’s 14-year-old son was performing wheelies on a Surron Ultra Bee e-motorcycle when he struck 81-year-old Ed Ashman near El Toro High School inLake Forest.
Ashman, a Marine Corps veteran who flew combat missions in Vietnam, died two weeks later. 
Authorities state the e-motorcycle involved is 16 times more powerful than a legal e-bike, capable of reaching 58 mph, and requires a license and registration that the teen did not have.
What we don't know:
Details regarding the teen's court proceedings remain confidential due to California state law.  
It has not been disclosed whether the defense will contest the claims that Mejer was properly informed of the specific classification of the 2025 Surron Ultra Bee prior to the accident.
Timeline:
June 2025: Mejer contacts deputies regarding photos of her son riding; deputies warn her of potential criminal charges if he continues to ride the e-motorcycle.
April 16, 2026: Ed Ashman is struck by the teen on the e-motorcycle.
April 21, 2026: Mejer is arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
April 30, 2026: Ed Ashman dies from his injuries at the hospital.
May 12, 2026: Arraignment is postponed; new court date is set.
June 30, 2026: Mejer's rescheduled arraignment in Newport Beach.
Big picture view:
A string of recent tragedies involving minors and high-powered electric vehicles has ignited a fierce debate over safety and parental responsibility across Southern California.
Recent Incidents Across the Region
Garden Grove: A 13-year-old boy died after losing control of an electric motorcycle and striking a center median.
Culver City: Authorities recently arrested two teenagers for the reckless operation of electric motorcycles on public streets.
Simi Valley: A 13-year-old e-bike rider was tragically killed after being struck by a train.
Lake Forest: 81-year-old Vietnam veteran Ed Ashman recently passed away following a hit-and-run involving a 14-year-old riding an illegal electric motorcycle.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has labeled the surge of illegal, high-speed electric bikes a "pandemic."
The trend has sparked urgent calls for stricter enforcement of vehicle classifications—distinguishing between low-speed assisted bicycles and high-powered motorcycles—and a push for increased legal accountability for the parents who purchase these vehicles for their children.In response to these fatal incidents, Amazon recently announced it will no longer allow third-party sellers to list high-speed e-bikes in California that fail to meet state legal requirements for speed and power.
According to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, any bike exceeding 28 mph with pedal assistance, or 20 mph with throttle assistance, is legally classified as a moped or motorcycle. These vehicles require DMV registration, insurance, and a motorcycle license to operate legally.
What they're saying:
"Tommi Mejer is anguished over the terrible accident. She sends her deepest condolences and sorrow over this tragedy. This has been devastating for everyone. It is premature to make any other statement," Mejer's attorneys Paul Meyer and Lolita Kirk said in a statement.
"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... If parents aren’t going to hold their children accountable, then I am going to hold parents accountable," Spitzer said. 
What's next:
Mejer is scheduled for her next court appearance on June 30 in Newport Beach. 
If convicted on all counts, she faces a maximum of seven years and eight months in state prison. 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- Ambulances are no longer allowed to transport patients to Anaheim Global Medical Center after Orange County health officials suspended the hospital's Emergency Receiving Center designation.
The Orange County Health Care Agency issued the suspension Wednesday, halting all 911 ambulance arrivals.
In a statement, Dr. Almaas Shaikh, OCHCA interim EMS medical director, said, "Effective immediately, Anaheim Global Medical Center's Emergency Receiving Center designation has been suspended by OC Emergency Medical Services. This suspension applies to patients arriving via the 911 system. The hospital's emergency department remains open and continues to accept walk-in patients. At this time, no duration has been established for the suspension."
County officials have not disclosed what led to the action. However, a spokesperson for Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who represents the district, said the hospital had issues involving its license to operate clinical lab services.
Sarmiento called the suspension "unsettling," adding in a statement, "This hospital serves some of our most vulnerable residents and is part of the network of care that patients rely on in central Orange County. The suspension of their Emergency Receiving status is unsettling. Especially given the recent instances of significant patient care issues at other related facilities over the past two years. It is my hope that the hospital operators take the suspension period to correct the issues that led to the suspension and meet all their regulatory obligations. As a County Supervisor and Chairman of CalOptima, I support increased oversight to ensure these critical medical facilities serve patients well and provide the highest standard of care."

Anaheim Global Medical Center is owned by KPC Health. Last year, another KPC facility - Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana - had a separate designation suspended when it was barred from receiving stroke patients.
Residents living near the Anaheim hospital said the news worries them.
"That's not right. I don't like to hear that because I have an elderly care, I'm a care provider and take care of our elderly. And this is the convenience and most closest place to come to," said Anaheim resident Jamario Williams.
Rigoberto Ceja, who also lives nearby, said, "It's the only hospital that is nearby so the other one is like two or three miles away from here so it's gonna be bad."
In a statement, Anaheim Global Medical Center said it is "working with Orange County EMS to restore its Emergency Receiving Center status as expeditiously as possible. In the meantime, the hospital remains safe, open, and operational."

The hospital emphasized that the suspension affects only 911 ambulance transports and noted it recently received an "A" Hospital Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit.
There are three other hospitals in Anaheim. Anaheim Regional Medical Center and UCI Medical Center in Orange are both about three miles from Anaheim Global Medical Center.