West Palm Beach Police confirm they are looking to identify a group of teenagers seen in a video on social media riding bicycles and in some cases harassing people.
Juvenile unit investigators are working with the Palm Beach County School District police on the case in West Palm Beach, but other law enforcement agencies are investigating similar cases in western neighborhoods.
Thousands of people have viewed videos on social media, posted by the kids on the bikes. A West Palm Beach dad claims the group assaulted him and threw rocks at him downtown on Wednesday night.
In the video, they clearly ignore traffic laws and it turns out their act is well know and unappreciated.
"They called me every name in the book, they surrounded me. They told me they were going to cause me bodily harm. I ended up calling West Palm [Police]. West Palm [Police] responded and we got rid of them. We trespassed a couple of them," said Professional Security Consulting Regional Manager Willie Perez.
Perez and his team oversee security on Clematis Street and at CityPlace. He says he knows all about these kids.
"There's nothing wrong with anyone riding bike downtown, that's what we want to see. The problem is when your behavior becomes unacceptable to the rest of society," added Perez.
The teenagers have their own YouTube channel, showing what they call their 'ride outs.' In one video, a boy is seen blowing through a stop sign without looking either way and riding his bicycle in front of a city bus.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is also looking into similar cases in Royal Palm Beach. A PBSO report indicates deputies responded to a shopping plaza in Royal Palm Beach in March after receiving complaints that about 20 kids on bikes were harassing patrons and causing "distracted driving situations."
"When the light changed, they kept going and going as the cars were going," said Regla Gomez who has seen a group of kids doing tricks on their bicycles downtown. "There's a lot of them, I don't know where they come from."
Others have commented on social media that they've seen the group and never had an issue with them. One man said he was cycling downtown and ended up alongside them and they never bothered him.
It's not clear if the same teenagers who ride through West Palm Beach are the same who have caused issues in Royal Palm Beach.
West Palm Beach police say the cyclists involved in Wednesday night's incident could face vandalism and assault charges.
