LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster Police say they have been investigating multiple ongoing incidents involving people riding illegal dirtbike-style motorcycles in and around the city for the past two months.
Many of the motorcycles are not registered through PennDOT and are illegal to operate on local streets, roads, or highways, according to police. Stolen and abandoned dirtbikes have also been recovered in the city and its surrounding areas, police say.
Two of the incidents police are investigating involve pedestrians being struck, while a man was arrested in another incident this week for striking a police vehicle with his dirtbike, police say.
In the latter incident, which occurred around 4:33 p.m. Monday, officers were looking for several subjects that had reportedly been riding recklessly on dirtbikes all day, according to police. Officers came upon a group near a garage on the 700 block of West Vine Street, and one of the subjects attempted to flee on his dirtbike, police claim.
The subject, identified as Damaso Albino-Santiago of Lititz, allegedly lost control of his dirtbike, which slammed into the side of a police cruiser.
Albino-Santiago also was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana when he was taken into custody, according to police. He is facing charges for drug possession and reckless driving, and other charges may be pending at the conclusion of the investigation, police say.
Police included surveillance footage of some of the subjects suspected of riding recklessly on dirtbikes over the last two months. The photos appear below.
"The Bureau of Police is requesting assistance from our partners in the community to identify these riders," Lancaster Police said in a statement. "Please submit information and tips via social media or by calling the Community Engagement Office at (717) 735-1784 or (717) 735-3369.
