- April 19, 2025
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Tensions have been rising between Lakewood Ranch homeowners and teenagers being accused of running amok on electric bikes.
“Residents are so frustrated, I am actually scared a resident is going to take this into their own hands,” said Eddie Gonzalez, a former police officer and current president of Arbor Grande’s Homeowners Association.
Residents have complained to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office that the teens are trespassing in gated neighborhoods, damaging property, taunting residents and driving recklessly.
“We’ve been under this sort of harassment for a couple years from these kids,” Eagle Trace's Deborah George said.
On March 23, a group of about 25 teens met and started riding through neighborhoods up and down White Eagle Boulevard. They waited for cars to enter and exit the gates and proceeded to speed over lawns while shouting obscenities at residents.
The incident was caught on camera, but the teenagers were wearing full face helmets and couldn’t be identified.
That same week, Gonzalez and MCSO’s Crime Stoppers tip line received screenshots of two WhatsApp posts that were advertising an electric bike meetup behind the Publix at 13150 S.R. 64.
Police were parked behind the Publix ahead of the meetup, so the teens didn’t congregate there, but the East County Observer caught up with a handful of teenage boys on electric bikes gathered down the street near the Panda Express.
A patrol car slowed down to tell one of them to go home and get a helmet, and two of the teens had just been stopped in the Wendy’s parking lot.
They didn’t want to be identified, but the boys said the officers were nice and spoke with them about being respectful.
One of the boys said about 90% of them are “nice and respectful riders.” He complained that the other 10% were making it unfair for the rest of the kids.
A lieutenant and sergeant stayed on the scene in the Publix parking lot and three units patrolled the general vicinity to hand out verbal warnings.
“Our purpose was to educate (the teenagers) on Florida Statutes regarding electric bikes,” MCSO Captain Brad Johnson said. “We want kids to be kids, but we also want to make sure that we protect private property rights and make sure people feel safe.”
Why would a group of Lakewood Ranch teenagers assemble like a gang to scream at residents and tear up their lawns on a Sunday afternoon?
Several residents say they can answer that question with one word — fishing.
Teens have been spotted fishing in ponds where fishing is prohibited, and have been asked to leave. The ensuing actions have been considered retaliatory.
In addition, when entering gated communities as nonresidents, the teenagers are trespassing and have been asked to leave repeatedly.
The teens the East County Observer spoke with disputed the claim. They wrote off the incidents as involving a group of bad kids not representative of their group.
Gonzalez said a “No fishing” sign in Arbor Grande disappeared. He suspects it was knocked over and thrown in the pond.
The new one cost $75 and was cemented in place.
George’s husband, Kevin George, said his senior neighbor told a group of kids that were fishing in Eagle Trace to leave, and they parked their bikes by his back lanai and started beeping the horns.
“They were taunting him,” he said. “I felt so sorry for the guy.”
Another neighbor also asked a group of kids to leave the property. The kids came back at night for weeks to bang on her front door and run away. They were also seen kicking her garage door.
Kevin George described them as "wolf packs." The groups range anywhere between five and 10 kids.
"They're emboldened because they know they can be," Deborah George said. "No one has really said, 'Enough is enough,' — not their parents, not the cops. The associations and neighbors try, but who's listening to them?"
The Georges said the problem started about three years ago with electric scooters and has continued to escalate since.
Residents have made five patrol requests in the general vicinity since December, all because of kids on electric bikes.
Johnson said two came from Mill Creek and one each from Bob Gardner Park, Grey Hawk Landing and the combination of Pope Road and White Eagle Boulevard.
Johnson also created a new patrol request for Arbor Grande and the Gatewood Drive area.
Since March 29, Gonzalez said there’s been a more active police presence. He’s seen officers stopping kids on electric bikes all over the area.
He also scheduled a meeting for the Arbor Grande community on April 17. MCSO is sending a resource officer out to discuss how residents should handle these issues as they arise.
Johnson said people should continue to contact MCSO on the non-emergency line at 747-3011, extension 2260. The officers are more than happy to provide service, and they will make contact, when appropriate, with juveniles.
The Georges said they’ve seen police called to Eagle Trace several times, but only once did they see an officer hold the kids until their parents arrived.
“When the parents came down, they said, ‘You’ll never have a problem with my kids again,’” Kevin George said. “Those kids, I’ve never seen again.”
The Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District is also experiencing problems with electric bikes tearing up the grass and nature trail at Bob Gardner Park.
Executive Director Anne Ross said “electric bikes” are being added to the signage at parks within the district, but signs get ignored, so they're also exploring what else can be done to curb the issue.
It’s not only bad behavior that concerns residents. They’re scared these kids are going to hurt themselves or others because they drive so recklessly.
“They’re driving around just bat crazy,” Gonzalez said. “Cars are having to hit their brakes. We had one resident — she was on the sidewalk using a walker — and they almost hit her near (Bob Gardner) park.”
Kids have been spotted weaving in and out of traffic on electric bikes and popping wheelies on the streets.
On March 14, a teenage boy was hit on an electric scooter at the intersection of Lorraine Road and University Parkway. He was not injured.
He also was not following the law. He was riding against traffic, instead of with it.
Electric bikes and scooters are categorized with traditional pedal bikes under Florida law. They're all considered vehicles, so the same rules apply, except that bikes and scooters aren't allowed on expressways.
Johnson's main safety concern for kids on electric bikes is the volume of traffic in the area, especially on thoroughfares like S.R. 64.
"Kids must be aware of their surroundings when operating their bikes," he said. "And we need drivers to be cognizant and pay attention to those kids when they're operating their bikes, as well."
