Overview
- Prosecutors in Orange County added the manslaughter count Friday after Ed Ashman died Thursday from injuries suffered in the April 16 hit‑and‑run.
- The 14‑year‑old was riding a Surron Ultra Bee while doing wheelies near El Toro High School, struck Ashman, and fled, and authorities later arrested the juvenile whose identity is shielded by law.
- Deputies warned Tommi Jo Mejer in June 2025 on body‑worn camera after she acknowledged buying the Surron and knowing her son rode it recklessly, and investigators say she later denied owning the bike after the crash.
- A law‑enforcement inspection found the Surron Ultra Bee is a motorcycle under California law, requiring a motorcycle license, registration, insurance, and full equipment, and it is marketed to reach about 56–58 mph with far more power than an e‑bike.
- Mejer’s arraignment is set for May 21 and she faces up to seven years and eight months in prison, as DA Todd Spitzer cites at least three similar parental prosecutions this year in a broader deterrence effort.