The owner of a downtown Boca Raton electric motorcycle shop is back in jail after police say he popped a wheelie on Federal Highway during rush hour Friday. Colton Tagle Ralston, 46, of Boca Raton, was arrested Saturday on charges of stunt driving and violating his probation.
Ralston owns Boca Scooters on NW 1st Avenue, which police say promotes and sells electric motorcycles. According to the arrest report, the incident happened around 5 p.m. Friday outside Sanborn Square, at 72 N. Federal Highway. A Boca Raton police officer handling another call watched a man on a white electric motorcycle ride north on Federal with his front tire in the air. Traffic was heavy, and both lanes slowed. The rider dropped the front tire before passing the officer and two other uniformed officers, then waved at them in what the report calls an apologetic gesture.
The officer said he recognized Ralston from several earlier encounters over the past few months. He could not stop the rider at the time because he was busy with the other call.
He found Ralston again around 11:12 a.m. Saturday, riding the same bike near 400 NE 2nd Street. The officer pulled him over near 400 NE 4th Avenue. Police said Ralston shook his head when asked about the wheelie. He told officers he did not mean to do it and that the bike was too powerful for him, despite owning an e-bike store.
Ralston is already on probation from an earlier arrest for filming stunt driving on an e-moto, police said. Those probation terms bar new law violations or citations. He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail and released on $25,000 bond. He is due in court Nov. 10 in Delray Beach.
Charges are allegations, and Ralston is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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