A video of a gang of teenage e-bikers beating up a man near the Hermosa Beach Pier until one of them yells “he’s dead, he’s dead” sent waves of outrage through the tight-knit coastal community this week.
On Wednesday, the Hermosa Beach Police Department announced that it had identified five juveniles involved in the attack. Their ages range from 13 to 15. Two who are accused of being the primary aggressors in the incident are under arrest.
The two teens were booked on suspicion of felony assault at the city jail and will be transported to Juvenile Hall. Their case will be presented to the L.A. County district attorney’s office’s juvenile division for filing consideration, police said.
The assault took place around 8 p.m. Friday when a 56-year-old male resident was assaulted by the teens near 11th Court and Beach Drive. Police said that the incident began after the resident walked past his intended destination to initiate contact with the youths and did not appear to have been premeditated or targeted.
Surveillance camera recordings show the teens surrounding the man, knocking him to the ground and then repeatedly punching and kicking him.
Officers responded to a 911 call for the assault and transported the victim to hospital. He was later discharged and interviewed by officers on Monday. No information has been shared on his current condition or the injuries he sustained.
In the days following the incident, police spoke with the parents of the teens involved and fielded numerous phone calls, e-mails and videos from the scene submitted by the community as calls for accountability intensified.
“We know the videos circulating are disturbing,” the department said in a Wednesday statement. “As with all cases, we take this seriously and appreciate the community’s patience while we continue to work on this case. We sincerely thank those who have trusted the process and allowed our team to remain focused on the facts and evidence.”
The assault was the latest in a string of incidents involving teenagers on e-bikes in the South Bay communities of Manhattan Beach, El Segundo and Redondo Beach. E-biking teens have also been accused of igniting fireworks on the busy Hermosa Beach Pier as well as barreling down streets and assaulting residents.
The city of Hermosa Beach enacted an emergency ordinance in June 2024 intended to curb dangerous behavior on the motorized bikes. The ordinance requires minors to wear helmets on e-bikes, forbids riding an e-bike under the influence of drugs or alcohol and bans e-bikes on the Greenbelt trail. Juveniles who violate the ordinance can have their e-bikes impounded.
The Police Department issued 40 e-bike citations this year as of Nov. 13 and has impounded 19 e-bikes since the ordinance was adopted.
Anyone with additional information regarding the recent assault is asked to contact the Hermosa Beach Police Department at (310) 318-0360.
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