Crime

Boston police seize 13 mopeds, arrest 3 in Back Bay

A new crackdown on the scooters resulted in a spike of recent arrests.

By Eva Levin

July 10, 2024

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Boston police recovered and impounded 13 mopeds for “various infractions” in Back Bay on Monday, the department said. Officers made three arrests in connection to the vehicles.

After receiving complaints from residents, BPD assigned officers to patrol the Back Bay and South End areas specifically to focus on unregistered mopeds and scooters, according to the department.

Thomas Gomez-Vera, 21, faces charges of including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, and moped-related violations. After pulling him over, officers informed Gomez-Vera that his moped was unregistered and uninsured, the department said. He allegedly attempted to flee on his scooter, but ran into two other officers who placed him into custody after what BPD called a “brief struggle.” He will likely be arraigned on four charges relating to his arrest in Boston Municipal Court. 

Police arrested two other people during the same patrol, the department said. The officers charged one suspect with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and the other with receiving a stolen motor vehicle. The arrests are not connected, BPD said.

Mayor Michelle Wu explicitly announced a crackdown on “off-road vehicles and ‘speaker cars'” in the city’s summer safety plan for this year, saying mopeds can “create unsafe situations.” Massachusetts state law allows mopeds in bike lanes, but not on open city streets. 

Boston city officials recently urged food delivery companies to encourage safe driving practices with their delivery drivers, many of whom use mopeds and scooters as their main form of transportation.