Koa Quintanilla's family and supporters gathered outside Menifee City Hall this week, holding signs and calling for justice nearly two months after the 15-year-old was killed in a hit-and-run while riding his e-motorcycle on Briggs Road. The driver who struck him has still not been identified or arrested, and the family says they want the city to respond with real changes to the roads where he died.
Koa, a Liberty High School student, was riding on Briggs Road north of Garbani Road on August 12 when he was hit and killed, according to Menifee 24/7, which reported on the family's peaceful protest. The vehicle fled the scene that night, and the family says they have received no new information from investigators since. The gathering outside City Hall was described as peaceful.
The family's advocacy includes two petitions, Koa's Way and Ride for Koa, calling for safer routes throughout the city and a dedicated youth e-bike park where kids could gather and learn defensive riding techniques and other road safety skills. Repollo has said a gathering place built in Koa's memory could end up saving another child's life.
Investigators Recovered a Van, But No Driver
Police have made some progress even without an arrest. Menifee Police Department seized a 2024 white Toyota Sienna minivan on August 15, three days after the crash, believing it was the vehicle that struck Koa, according to Lake Elsinore Patch. As of October, officers still had not identified or arrested a driver. Witnesses told the outlet they saw the white vehicle traveling south on Briggs Road while Koa's off-road electric motorcycle was dragged beneath its front end, before the bike dislodged and the driver fled.
The stretch of road where Koa died has drawn scrutiny for reasons beyond the crime itself. Briggs Road north of Garbani Road lacks sidewalks or dedicated bike lanes and goes unlit at night, according to CBS Los Angeles. That same corridor later drew renewed attention in September after a separate multi-vehicle crash on nearby Scott Road, which Hoodline reported trapped two people.
A Second Teen Killed Just Weeks Later
Less than five weeks after Koa's death, another 13-year-old boy riding an e-bike was struck and killed in Menifee at Holland Avenue and Evans Road, this time by a driver fleeing police, Hoodline previously reported. CBS Los Angeles noted that the driver in that case was arrested and booked on suspicion of homicide. The station's reporting also found that Menifee police investigated more than 50 e-bike-related collisions citywide between January 2025 and July 2026, with driver inattention and excessive speed identified as primary contributing factors.
Menifee has held a town hall. Some high-powered e-motorcycles are designed for off-road use rather than public streets.
Council Study Session and Road Projects Ahead
Menifee city leaders have scheduled a City Council study session for November to evaluate possible updates and stricter enforcement of the municipal e-bike ordinance, per the outlet's reporting. The family's protest is aimed in part at getting their safety proposals, including the youth e-bike park, onto a future council agenda.
The push for change in Menifee comes as state lawmakers move on the same issue. In October, Governor Gavin Newsom signed three new e-bike laws, one of which targets electric motorcycles deceptively marketed as e-bikes, according to CalMatters.
Koa's family held a protest outside City Hall.
