Aliso Viejo Mom Faces Manslaughter Charge

Orange County prosecutors have turned one Lake Forest crash into a test case for parental liability in the region’s fast-growing e-bike and e-motorcycle crackdown. Tommi Jo Mejer, an Aliso Viejo mother, was charged on May 1 with involuntary manslaughter after Ed Ashman, 81, died from injuries he suffered when Mejer’s 14-year-old son allegedly struck him while riding an electric motorcycle. Prosecutors say the boy was illegally operating a high-powered Surron bike near El Toro High School on April 16 and fled after the collision. The case now sits at the center of a broader push by District Attorney Todd Spitzer to bring criminal cases not only against young riders, but also against parents who let them ride. ### How did this case become a manslaughter prosecution? The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said the charge was upgraded on May 1 after Ashman died on April 30, about two weeks after the collision. Prosecutors had already filed child endangerment and accessory-related charges tied to the same incident before adding involuntary manslaughter. The April 16 crash happened near Toledo Way and Ridge Route Drive in Lake Forest, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies said they were called shortly before 4 p.m. for a pedestrian struck by what was first described as an e-bike, and they found Ashman with life-threatening injuries. ABC News and the district attorney’s office reported that Ashman was walking home from work when he was hit. (ocdistrictattorney.gov) Prosecutors identified him as a Vietnam veteran and substitute teacher at El Toro High School. ### What do prosecutors say Mejer did? Prosecutors say Mejer repeatedly allowed her son to ride the vehicle after being warned that it was illegal for a child to operate. (ocsheriff.gov) The district attorney’s May 1 statement said the boy was riding an e-motorcycle “16 times more powerful than an e-bike” when he hit Ashman. (abcnews.com) Fox 11 reported that prosecutors allege Mejer permitted her son to ride a 2025 Surron Ultra Bee despite prior police warnings. The district attorney’s office has framed the case as one involving parental negligence, not just juvenile misconduct. KTLA and other local outlets reported that prosecutors also accused Mejer earlier in the case of lying to investigators about ownership of the vehicle, which formed part of the original accessory allegation. (ocdistrictattorney.gov) ### What happened to the boy and to Ashman? The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said a 14-year-old boy was arrested after the crash. Authorities have said the rider left the scene before deputies identified him. (foxla.com) Ed Ashman died on April 30 after nearly two weeks in the hospital, according to prosecutors and multiple local news reports. Fox 11 described him as a retired Marine captain, and the district attorney’s office said he had been walking home from his job at El Toro High School when he was struck. (ktla.com) (ocsheriff.gov) ### Is this an isolated case or part of a wider Orange County effort? The district attorney’s office said on May 13 that it had created a specialized prosecution unit focused on illegal e-bike and e-motorcycle cases. The Orange County Register reported the unit will review potential criminal charges involving juveniles, adults and parents. The same May 1 district attorney statement said Orange County prosecutors had filed child endangerment charges against three parents since January for allowing children to illegally ride e-motorcycles. (ocdistrictattorney.gov) One of those cases involved a Yorba Linda father whose 12-year-old son was critically injured after riding a modified bike that prosecutors said could reach 60 mph. (msn.com) CBS Los Angeles reported this week that the district attorney’s office says e-bike and e-motorcycle injuries in Southern California have climbed sharply in recent years. Spitzer has used those figures to argue for tougher enforcement against parents and sellers as well as riders. ### Where does the court case stand now? Tommi Jo Mejer appeared in court on May 12 but did not enter a plea, according to local reports. (ocdistrictattorney.gov) MyNewsLA and ABC7 reported that her arraignment was postponed. The Orange County case is identified by prosecutors as Case No. 26HF1029. Spitzer’s office said it is seeking to continue prosecutions tied to illegal high-powered electric motorcycles, with Mejer’s case now one of the most serious examples on that docket. (cbsnews.com) (ocdistrictattorney.gov) (mynewsla.com)