Two people were charged with child abuse after they allegedly allowed a minor to drive an e-moto bike, ending in a crash that left the minor with severe injuries last year, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
The DA’s office said 58-year-old Steven Leroy Crews and 58-year-old Jeanna Marie Gabellini of Benicia were charged with one count of child abuse after they allegedly “willfully and unlawfully permitted a child to be injured or placed in a situation where the child’s health is endangered.”
Authorities report on Sept. 18, 2025, the 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 at around 3:05 p.m.
The minor sustained severe injuries as a result, according to officials. Police investigated the collision and said that, with multiple witnesses and evidence, it was determined the juvenile was unlawfully riding the e-moto in an unsafe manner and speeds before the crash.
Authorities argued Gabellini and Crews allowed the minor to ride the e-moto from ages 14 to 17, ignoring repeated citations and warnings from law enforcement.
The parents will be arraigned on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
