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Some shopping mall patrons in the Santa Clarita Valley were surprised to see a trio of motorcyclists riding through the food court Saturday night.
The chaotic scene unfolded at Valencia’s Town Center Mall, where three suspects, possibly juveniles, on two dirt bikes were seen cruising the food court area at relatively high speeds, KTLA has learned. It was captured on cell phone video.
Chris Hernandez, a restaurant manager at the mall, said the suspects, who were driving fast, evaded mall security who were slow to respond.
“It was loud. You could see the bikes coming through the mall,” the restaurant manager told KTLA’s Sandra Mitchell. “For me, that’s an absolute no, no, because there’s little kids everywhere and somebody’s going to get hurt.”
On January 4, 2025, three suspects, possibly juveniles, were seen riding dirt bikes through a shopping mall in Valencia. (Insta @SCV_Incidents) Three suspects, possibly juveniles, seen riding dirt bikes through a shopping mall in Valencia on January 4, 2025 (Insta @SCV_Incidents) Riding dirt bikes through a shopping mall in Valencia Three suspects (possibly juveniles) driving on January 4, 2025. (Insta @SCV_Incidents) Three suspects, possibly juveniles, were seen riding dirt bikes through a shopping mall in Valencia on January 4, 2025. (Insta @SCV_Incidents) Three suspects, possibly juveniles, seen riding through a shopping mall in Valencia on January 4, 2025 on dirt bikes. (Insta @SCV_Incidents)
Other mall employees who spoke to KTLA said this is not the first time dirt bike riders have entered the mall.
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“They’re very bold,” said Matthew Montano, who works at a restaurant in the mall. “Although it usually happened a little more often in the last year.”
So far, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials have not made any arrests. Guillermo Martinez said the three suspects could face felony charges if arrested.
“People are there for the shopping experience. They’re not going to expect bikes to pass in front of them,” he told KTLA. “It can pose a serious danger, a threat of injury, not only to the motorcycle rider, but also to them.”
Just an hour after the incident at the mall, a teenager riding a motorcycle riding the wrong way on the road at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Oak Ridge Drive was killed.
Some posts on social media reported that the man was one of the drivers in the mall motorcycle incident, but law enforcement officials have not yet confirmed that.
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But sheriff’s department officials said they would increase patrols in the area.
“We’re going to go out there and take a zero-tolerance approach,” said Sgt. Martinez told KTLA. “If we find them, we will either arrest them, confiscate them, arrest them, or detain them depending on the situation, and we are stepping up enforcement efforts.”
Authorities say this type of dangerous behavior is on the rise, especially since electric bikes (many of which are similar to dirt bikes) have become more common, and that officers on motorcycles and ATVs are often used to chase suspects. He added that he would be drafted into the military.
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