Steven Henshaw: Reading police capture rider of illegal dirt bike after lengthy chase
May 18—A 24-year-old city man who police said was among a pack of riders of illegal dirt bikes was found hiding under a car in a parking garage after leading officers on a pursuit in south Reading.
Marco A. Perez-Robles of the 300 block of West Greenwich Street was free on $30,000 bail following arraignment Tuesday night before District Judge Carissa L. Johnson in Reading Central Court.
Perez-Robles is charged with aggravated assault, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, resisting arrest, defiant trespassing, driving under a suspended or revoked license and driving an unregistered vehicle, in addition to numerous traffic offenses.
Police gave this account:
About 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sgt. Charles Menges responded to Mineral Spring Road and Clymer Street for a report of an unmarked police vehicle that had its rear window smashed by a male on a dirt bike. Details of that incident were unavailable.
Moments later, another officer reported a pack of dirt bike riders heading west on Cotton Street from South 10th Street. He started paralleling them in his patrol car as they continued west on Chestnut, turning onto Ninth, then Laurel Street.
The officer turned on his emergency lights and siren while pursuing the dirt bike riders, who failed to stop at the stop sign on Laurel.
The group turned right onto Fifth Street, running the red light. A winding chase along Bingaman, Wood, Pine, Spruce and South Third streets followed. Some of the riders rode onto the sidewalk to evade the officer, who had to halt pursuit due to traffic congestion.
Menges, meanwhile, pulled his vehicle onto the handicapped ramp on Chestnut Street to block the path of the approaching riders, most of whom were able to drive around him. The group turned north, the wrong way, on South Fourth Street. While other units pursued the main pack, Menges pursued the lone dirt bike that traveled south on South Fourth.
When the bike crossed in front of the car, Menges could see the driver was wearing a black jacket and black half-helmet.
Menges continue to pursue the dirt bike. A few minutes later the rider ducked into the South Penn Garage at 635 Franklin St., then raced past police to escape a short time later.
Officers in City Hall were following the fleeing bike's movements via the video feed from the city's pole-mounted cameras, but they lost sight of him on Franklin.
A short time later, Officer Andrew Gery received a tip that the rider had gone into another parking garage, this one at Fourth and Cherry streets. Police surrounded the garage and found Perez-Robles hiding under a car.
He ran down a stairwell where he was taken into custody by Gery.
Reading Parking Authority, which owns the garage, specifically requested the rider be charged with trespassing
Reading police some time ago implemented a zero-tolerance policy for illegal riding of dirt bikes, ATVs and other unregistered, off-road vehicles on streets and sidewalks.
That was prompted by numerous complaints from the public. The department has seized dozens of dirt bikes and ATVs over the past two years, and last week posted a video of heavy equipment crushing the vehicles before they were hauled off in a huge roll-off container to be scrapped so they don't end up back on the streets.
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Police are continuing to seek the public help in combating the dirt bike problem.
Tips on where to locate illegal dirt bikes and ATVs can locate illegal dirt bike/ATV's can be made by calling Reading police at 610-655-6116.
