Arizona 15

PHOENIX – People living near Black Mountain Boulevard and Deer Valley Drive say a man riding a bright green street bike has been terrorizing them for months.

“He’s talented but he’s disrupting our neighborhoods,” said a woman who asked we only use her first name, Janell, and lives in the nearby Fireside community.

“We just want him to stop somehow — we don’t know what our recourse is,” she said.

Janell and other neighbors tell ABC15 the man, who rides a Kawasaki Ninja bike, has been seen and heard in the area as early as 2 a.m. passing by Pinnacle High School, merging on State Route 51 and returning to the area.

Witnesses captured photos and videos of the man appearing to perform a prolonged wheelie and run a red light.

“It’s very bold and it’s dangerous,” said Laura Richards, another neighbor who’s been woken by the biker “countless” times.

“I just want some peace and quiet back in my neighborhood,” she said.

Since June, Richards and Janell both said they called Phoenix police multiple times to report the biker. They’re concerned he or someone else will get hurt.

Sgt. Vince Lewis, a Phoenix police spokesman, told ABC15 he’s checking with the nearby precinct to see what, if any, actions are being taken. He said Phoenix residents dealing with a problem motorist should call Crime Stop at (602) 262-6151 and speeding concerns can be reported at (602) 534-SPEED.

NBC DFW

A federal judge has sentenced a former leader of the notorious Bandidos biker gang to two consecutive life terms and another 20 years in prison for directing a violent racketeering and drug trafficking enterprise.

John Portillo, of San Antonio, was sentenced Monday. The 59-year-old was the national vice president of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Organization.

Jurors in May found Portillo and the group’s president Jeffrey Pike guilty of directing Bandidos members to commit murder, attempted murder, robbery, assault, intimidation, extortion and drug trafficking. Trial evidence revealed the pair’s role in violent acts against rivals around Texas and trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine.

A federal investigation of the leaders arose from the 2006 killing of Anthony Benesh.

The Daily Courier

The Hells Angels’ annual poker run was interrupted in Kelowna on Saturday after the lead biker got pulled over for holding up traffic.

Kelowna RCMP officers were patrolling the Glenmore area to ensure public safety during the 11th annual Hells Angels Motorcycle Poker Run, said Const. Lesley Smith.

About 90 participants were expected to travel through Kelowna via Glenmore Road, ending in Vernon with a few planned stops along the way.

Mounties issued a number of violation tickets to riders involved in the event. Riders ticketed included the lead biker, who allegedly failed to obey a traffic light, holding up five blocks of traffic along Glenmore Road.

“The driver of the lead bike was pulled over and issued a violation ticket after refusing to advance at an unobstructed green light,” said Smith. “The driver was waiting for the entire group to line up, and despite a clear direction from the Kelowna RCMP member on scene to drive forward, the lead driver remained stationary at the green light.”

The driver was issued a ticket for failing to obey a traffic-control device.

This resulted in the entire ride coming to a halt, as the participants did not know the route to Vernon and were waiting for the lead, said Smith.

Once the ticket was issued, the poker run continued and no other incidents were reported.