2 San Francisco men arrested in dirt bike crackdown charged with reckless riding

By Tim Fang

Two people who were arrested by San Francisco police over the weekend during a crackdown on illegal dirt bike riding on city streets have been charged, prosecutors said.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Wednesday that 28-year-old Nino Fiopoto and 30-year-old Rubin Mesa face charges of reckless driving and participating in a speed contest. The pair, who are both San Francisco residents, were arrested near the corner of Divisadero and Lombard streets on Sunday, during an operation that involved multiple units.

The crackdown stemmed from a rise in illegal dirt bike riding throughout the Bay Area. Police said large groups of riders, often on bikes that are unregistered and not street legal, overwhelm streets and ride recklessly on roads, sidewalks and pedestrian zones.

Edward Siu, chairman of the Chinatown Merchants United Association, told CBS News Bay Area that he and other merchants have urged police for years to address the problem, but said the response was always the same.

“They say they cannot do anything because they are hard to trace and they cannot pursue them,” Siu said.

During Sunday’s operation, officers used automated license plate readers, drones, surveillance cameras and physical surveillance to seize vehicles and make arrests. Six dirt bikes were seized along with an ATV. Police said that four of the bikes were stolen from other parts of the state, including Atascadero, Grass Valley, Modesto and Yuba City.

In addition to the arrests and the seizing of vehicles, two people were also cited for allegedly driving without licenses and registration.

Mayor Daniel Lurie said at a briefing on Monday to announce results of the crackdown, “To everyone in San Francisco and outside the city… your leaders will not tolerate this lawlessness. This dangerous behavior has no place in San Francisco.”

Interim police chief Paul Yep said, “Our investigators will be tracking all leads, and more arrests could be made in the days and weeks to come.”

According to Jenkins’ office, Fiopoto and Mesa are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning.