New Bedford police officer injured after being struck by dirt bike, 9 arrested

New Bedford Police Sgt. Candido Trinidad suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries Monday evening when he was run over by a dirt bike in the city’s North End.

Sgt. Trinidad, 35, is being treated at Rhode Island Hospital.

The dirt bike that struck Sgt. Trinidad was one of a group of off-road vehicles stopped by New Bedford Police for creating a menace throughout the evening.

Police arrested nine adults from New Bedford who had been riding their off-road vehicles through the city recklessly, driving on sidewalks and causing a hazard for children out trick or treating.

The drivers were arrested outside the former Flagship Cinema, 500 Kings Highway. In the course of the arrest, one of the drivers ran over Sgt. Trinidad with his dirt bike.

The driver of the dirt bike that injured Sgt. Trinidad, Carlos Gonzalez, 24, of 177 Ashley Blvd., was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, driving to endanger, refusing to stop for a police officer, unlawful operation of a recreational vehicle on a roadway, operating a motor vehicle with no license, operating a motor vehicle with no helmet, trespassing, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest.

He was treated and released from St. Luke’s Hospital for minor injuries.

Others charged in the incident were:

• Melvin Gonzalez, 18, of New Bedford was charged with disorderly conduct, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
• Eliezer Rosado, 25, of New Bedford was charged with disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
• Fabio Correia-Tavares, 27, of New Bedford was charged with disorderly conduct and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
• Jonathan Garcia, 26, of New Bedford was charged with disturbing the peace, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle with a license that was revoked for being a habitual traffic offender.
• Alex Pizzaro, 25, of 20 New Bedford was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, operating after suspension of license, operating an uninsured vehicle and disorderly conduct.
• Joshua Washburn, 22, of New Bedford was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and disorderly conduct.
• Wilfredo Colon, 29, of New Bedford was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, operating a recreational vehicle on a public way and operating a recreational vehicle without a helmet.
• Elemuel Robles-Maldonado, 32, of New Bedford was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, operating without a license, failure to stop for a police officer, operating with no helmet, trespassing and disturbing the peace.

All 9 defendants are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at New Bedford District Court. Police were able to tow five scooters, three dirt bikes, one motorcycle and five ATVs.