Parents Charged With Child Abuse In Walnut Creek e-Moto Crash

From the Office of the District Attorney:

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.

Steven Leroy Crews and Jeanna Marie Gabellini, both 58 and from 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, escooters, e-dirt bikes, and how to operate them safely and lawfully.