A targeted enforcement operation by the Los Angeles Police Department resulted in roughly 70 citations and the impoundment of dozens of motorized minibikes following a large-scale street takeover on the 6th Street Bridge. The crackdown was executed on a Sunday by officers assigned to the department's Street Racing Task Force after law enforcement observed a massive gathering disrupting traffic and engaging in reckless stunts across the iconic span.
According to department officials, more than 70 individuals gathered on the bridge operating unauthorized motorized minibikes, also commonly known as pocket bikes. Police reported that participants brought traffic to a standstill while executing hazardous maneuvers, including donuts and wheelies, weaving erratically through lanes, and traveling on the wrong side of the roadway against oncoming traffic.
Authorities noted with concern that the group comprised riders ranging in age from 13 to 50 years old. Furthermore, police identified several older adults leading the pack, some of whom were confirmed to be the parents of the minor children participating directly in the illicit roadway gathering.
In a formal statement addressing the enforcement action, the LAPD underscored that such unauthorized street gatherings pose severe risks to the riders themselves, ordinary motorists, pedestrians, and the surrounding community. Officials emphasized that the physical nature of pocket bikes makes them inherently hazardous on active city streets due to their low visibility, general mechanical instability, and complete absence of state-mandated safety equipment, warning that a single mistake can quickly lead to catastrophic injuries.
Department leadership made clear that law enforcement will no longer overlook mass gatherings of this nature, warning that the legal definition and operational response to street takeovers extend well beyond modified passenger automobiles. Deputy Chief German Hurtado emphasized that the city has witnessed substantial disruption from such events and affirmed that the department will not tolerate motorized disturbances that compromise public roadways.
Police officials explained that their tactical approach on Sunday was executed with deliberate caution because so many of the individuals involved were underage minors who might not comprehend the full scope of the dangers associated with riding pocket bikes on active public thoroughfares. To penalize the unlawful behavior, officers issued formal citations referencing California Vehicle Code Section 21720.
Among those detained during the bridge bust were Marvin Deleon and his 13-year-old daughter, Leilani Deleon. Both father and daughter received legal citations from responding officers and witnessed their minibikes hauled away and impounded as part of the department's broader seizure of approximately 70 bikes.
Speaking to Eyewitness News reporter Jericho Tran, Marvin Deleon pushed back against the characterization of the event as an illegal takeover, instead describing the gathering as a celebratory "birthday rideout." Deleon asserted that riding beside his teenage daughter served as adequate supervision and argued that parents who accompany their children should not be penalized by law enforcement.
When questioned about whether he bore responsibility for placing his 13-year-old daughter into a precarious situation that carried obvious legal and safety ramifications, Deleon maintained that family riding should remain permissible. He voiced strong frustration with the officers' intervention, stating that enjoying a minibike alongside a parent ought not to be treated as an unlawful or criminal act.
The interaction grew contentious as Deleon disputed the existence of laws barring such rides, demanding physical proof and legal documentation showing that a 13-year-old is barred from operating a minibike on public roadways. He argued that riding is permissible by age 14 and questioned the standard used by authorities to classify his daughter as too young to participate.
Deleon also claimed that prior encounters with law enforcement had yielded far more lenient outcomes. According to the father, officers in past instances had stopped their group but ultimately permitted them to continue on their way, provided that riders wore protective helmets, refrained from disruptive behavior, and avoided halting the flow of vehicular traffic.
Despite official police findings documenting severe roadway obstruction and reckless driving on the bridge, Deleon disputed that the group ever halted normal transit. He insisted that the riders did not block traffic during the course of the rideout, directly contradicting the observations logged by task force officers who monitored the bridge.
Leilani Deleon recounted her experience during the police intervention, explaining that officers blocked the group in to prevent participants from leaving before placing her in restraints. The 13-year-old stated that her wrists were secured with zip-ties, which left visible marks and scars, while participants were held in place on the bridge during the extended investigation.
The LAPD reiterated following the operation that small minibikes operated by minors under the age of 18 are not street-legal and cannot lawfully share lanes with regular traffic. Department representatives stressed that the overarching objective of Sunday's massive operation was to enforce municipal roadway safety, educate the public, and proactively shield young riders from preventable, life-threatening collisions.
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