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A viral video shows juveniles racing dirt bikes inside a California shopping mall Saturday night. Despite the video showing the suspects, no arrests have been made in the case. Police are investigating whether the incident is connected with a deadly crash nearby.
The Santa Clarita Valley Signal reported that juveniles were riding dirt bikes inside the Valencia Town Center mall — roughly 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
‘People are there for the shopping experience. They’re not going to expect having a motorcycle ride right past them.’
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station dispatched officers to the mall at 9:22 p.m. after a woman reported being struck by one of the dirt-bike riders. Sgt. Jerome Gage said, “She was hit by one of [the dirt bikes] when she was walking to her vehicle.”
The alleged victim could not be located when deputies arrived at the shopping mall, which meant no charges were pressed and no arrests were made.
Sgt. Gage confirmed an Instagram video was circulating that shows the dirt-bike riders racing around the Valencia Town Center. The video had racked up tens of thousands of views in just days.
The viral video shows three male juveniles riding dirt bikes near the mall’s food court.
Chris Hernandez, a restaurant manager at the mall, told KTLA, “It was loud. I saw the motorcycles come up through the mall.”
“To me, it’s a big no-no because there’s little kids all over the place, and somebody’s going to end up getting hurt,” Hernandez added.
Another employee at the mall said that it wasn’t the first time dirt-bike riders have driven in the Valencia Town Center.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Sgt. Guillermo Martinez said the three suspects could face felony charges if they are caught.
“People are there for the shopping experience. They’re not going to expect having a motorcycle ride right past them,” Martinez told KTLA. “That could be threat of serious danger, injury to them as well as to the riders of the motorcycles.”
Police are investigating whether the suspects are connected to a fatal accident nearby.
Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a vehicle collision just two miles away from the mall at 9:49 p.m. Saturday.
A 14-year-old boy riding a dirt bike collided head-on with a van in an intersection, according to police.
Deputy Robert Jensen — a spokesman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station — told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal that the child was knocked off the dirt bike and then was struck by another vehicle and was trapped underneath it.
Deputies rescued the boy, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department provided medical treatment at the scene.
The minor was rushed to the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital where he was listed in critical condition. However, the teen succumbed to his injuries at the hospital and was pronounced dead at 7:32 a.m. Sunday.
Jensen said the sheriff’s office is investigating whether the boy who died was one of the riders in the viral video taken inside the mall. He added that the dirt bike involved in the fatal accident was not street-legal.
Sgt. Martinez said police would be increasing patrols in the area of the mall following the two incidents.
“We will be out there, and we will take a zero-tolerance approach,” Sgt. Martinez declared. “If we see it, we will either cite, confiscate, arrest, or impound depending on what the circumstances are, but we are ramping up enforcement.”
You can watch the viral video here.
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