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Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a mother and father with child abuse related to the operation of an e-moto by an unlicensed minor who suffered injuries after crashing into another vehicle in Walnut Creek.
58-year-old Steven Leroy Crews and 58-year-old Jeanna Marie Gabellini of Benicia will be arraigned on March 27th at 8:30 am in Martinez on one count of child abuse [PC 273a(a)], which is a misdemeanor. Mr. Crews and Ms. Gabellini are alleged to have willfully and unlawfully permitted a child to be injured or placed in a situation where the child’s health is endangered on or between October 19th, 2024, and September 18th, 2025.
It was on September 18th, 2025, around 3:05 pm, that a John Doe minor related to Crews and Gabellini crashed his Surron Light Bee e-Moto bike into a minivan on Treat Boulevard and Arkell Road in Walnut Creek. The minor suffered severe injuries that required emergency care at a local hospital. The driver of the minivan was uninjured and stayed at the scene.
Walnut Creek Police investigated the collision, and through witness statements and other evidence, determined the child was unlawfully riding the e-moto on Treat Boulevard in an unsafe manner and at unsafe speeds prior to the crash. Moreover, Crews and Gabellini allowed the minor to repeatedly ride the e-moto from age 14-17, ignoring repeated citations and warnings from law enforcement.
District Attorney Diana Becton said, “E-bikes and e-motos are more prevalent on city streets. Now that California has new laws on the books to address public safety offenses related to e-bikes and e-motos, parents must understand the dangers these vehicles can pose to children if operated unlawfully and without proper driver education.”
The City of Walnut Creek has helpful information on the different classifications of e-bikes, e-motos, e-scooters, e-dirt bikes, and how to operate them safely and lawfully.
Case No. 01-25-04762 | The People of the State of California v. Steven Leroy Crews
Case No. 01-25-04777 | The People of the State of California v. Jeanna Marie Gabellini
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