Rochester Mayor Malik Evans has ordered a restaurant temporarily closed in the wake of an incident Sunday involving dozens of dirt bikes and ATVs.
Four city police officers were injured after trying to respond to that large gathering of vehicles they said were being operated illegally in a parking lot on East Main Street, a lot that is near the Casa Campo restaurant.
Evans said Casa Campo is closed pending a meeting with the city’s Law Department, in which the two sides will “identify an agreeable path forward.”
The mayor said that, “not only will law enforcement be working to address those who choose to operate illegal vehicles on our city streets, we will also target those who encourage them to gather.”
RPD Capt. Greg Bello said city police were at the location on E. Main on Sunday afternoon after having similar problems at the same parking lot the previous weekend.
He said this past Sunday, all four officers were treated at the hospital and released, but two of the officers potentially face long term recoveries.
During the incident police say that 26-year-old Alexander Lugo-Torres drove an ATV directly at a sergeant, striking and injuring him. Police also recovered a handgun from him. Lugo-Torres and his 27-year-old brother, Alexis Lugo-Torres were both arrested on charges that include assault.
Captain Greg Bello says Rochester Police will work with other law enforcement agencies this summer to try and deal with this ongoing problem.
“We were pretty successful last year, working with some of our partners in the surrounding town agencies, and State Police and the (Monroe County) sheriff’s office,” said Bello. “So we’re looking to build some of those coordinated details again, as we move into the summer and work through the enforcement against them.”
Bello said that on Sunday, a total of 9 dirt bikes and ATVs were impounded. The city and the county and other agencies have been working the last few years to increase enforcement actions against people operating these types of vehicles illegally.
Mayor Evans said that the city’s traffic and specialized ATV details are up and running and he said that the city’s law department “will continue to close businesses that encourage bad behavior.”
