Haverhill man arrested for doing wheelies on e-bike with helmetless son

HAVERHILL — On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at approximately 1:12 p.m., Deputy Chief Meaghan Pare radioed dispatch to report that a man was operating a e-bike heading westbound on White Street doing wheelies with a child passenger. Neither the operator, nor the child were wearing helmets.

(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Domenic Buccini and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.) 

“At this time, Officer [Ryan] McCartney, who was working a construction detail, advised dispatch that the motorized bicycle had passed his location and began traveling northbound on North Street,” Officer Buccini said. “Sergeant [Michael] Mills and Officer [Christopher] Landers then advised that they were out with the party, later identified as the defendant, Luis Torres, along with Luis’ son.”

According to police, Luis Torres-Reyes, 20, is a resident of Haverhill, MA.

“Upon our arrival, I observed that Luis and [his son] had no helmets and that they were on a motorized bicycle,” Officer Buccini said. “Luis did not have a Massachusetts driver’s license to operate the motorized bicycle. This was confirmed through Haverhill Police dispatch.”

Officer Buccini said the motorized bicycle, which was capable of traveling over 30 mph, was not properly registered or insured.

In Massachusetts, any e-bike that is capable of exceeding 20 mph, is categorized as a “motorized bicycle” and requires a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit, RMV registration, and license plate.

At around this time, the mother of Torres-Reyes’ son arrived and took custody of the child.

“Luis was handcuffed behind his back (DL) [double locked] and searched for weapons and contraband (negative findings),” Officer Buccini said.

Torres-Reyes was then transported to the Haverhill Police Department for booking.

Bradford Towing towed the motorized bicycle from the scene.

Officer Buccini said he reviewed city camera footage from the intersections of White and Portland streets and White and Vine streets and observed Torres-Reyes operating the motorized bicycle on the sidewalk with his child seated in front of him.

“The motorized bicycle then drives onto the roadway and begins driving Westbound on White Street,” Officer Buccini said. “You can observe that Luis and [his son] are not wearing helmets. The motorized bicycle then drives past the construction detail and turns right onto North Street.”

Officer Buccini said a 51A was filed with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF). (A 51A form is a mandatory report that professionals in Massachusetts, who work with children, must file with the DCF when they suspect that a child is being abused, neglected, or both.)

“A wheelie takes away proper control of the vehicle and restricts your ability to brake or avoid hazards in the roadway,” Officer Buccini explained. “Luis operated the motorized bicycle in a manner that endangered the lives of the public. Luis’ actions disregarded [his son’s] safety, putting his life in danger.”

Torres-Reyes was arraigned in Haverhill District Court on June 25, 2026. Following his arraignment, he was released on personal recognizance.

Torres-Reyes’ next court date is a pretrial hearing scheduled for Aug. 17, 2026.

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Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in June, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.

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