An Aliso Viejo mother has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran died on Thursday, weeks after he was allegedly struck by a 14-year-old riding an e-motorcycle in Lake Forest, prosecutors announced.
The crash occurred on April 16 at Toledo Way and Ridge Route Drive, where authorities say the teen was performing wheelies in the roadway when he struck Ed Ashman as he walked home from El Toro High School, where he worked as a substitute teacher.
The 14-year-old fled the scene but was later identified with the help of witnesses and taken into custody, authorities said.
Prosecutors allege the boy’s mother, 50-year-old Tommi Jo Mejer of Aliso Viejo, had previously been warned about the dangers of allowing her son to ride the e-motorcycle.
In an amended complaint filed after Ashman’s death, Mejer is now charged with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, along with felony counts of child endangerment and accessory after the fact, as well as several misdemeanors.
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If convicted on all counts, she faces up to seven years and eight months in state prison.
Legal experts say it is rare for prosecutors to file criminal charges against parents for a child’s actions and that such cases are typically reserved for extreme circumstances.
“I think this is an unusual case. It’s designed to send a message,” said Laurie L. Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School, in a previous interview. “I don’t think they’re going to be charging parents every time a child does something reckless.
Levenson said the case appeared “egregious” based on prosecutors’ allegations that the mother had been warned about her son’s dangerous behavior and later tried to conceal the crash.
Levenson could not immediately be reached for comment on the upgraded charge.
Due to his age, prosecutors under state law are unable to discuss whether they are pursuing charges against the son, Orange County District Attorney spokeswoman Kimberly Edds said.