The following is a press release issued by the Willits Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On July 10th, 2022 at about 10:55pm, Willits Police Department (WPD) Officer Basurto was patrolling in the area of the post office on South Main Street when he observed a juvenile (13 years old) running from the Village Market, cross the street and run toward the parking lot of the post office. Officer Basurto observed a bottle of liquor in the juvenile’s hands and attempted to contact the youth.
The juvenile refused to stop and ran away from Officer Basurto but was ultimately caught and taken into custody. The youth spontaneously admitted that he had taken the bottle of liquor from the Village Market without paying for it. The bottle of liquor was recovered at the scene.
Additional WPD Officers contacted the market’s employee who advised she intervened as the juvenile was exiting the market with two bottles of liquor in his possession. The store employee was able to take both bottles from the juvenile and attempted to detain him. However, the youth attempted to punch the store clerk and forcibly took one of the bottles of liquor from the store clerk before running out of the store.
The suspect’s father was contacted, responded to the scene, and learned from his son that he and a friend, also 13 years old, snuck out of the father’s house with the intent to steal alcohol. However, the second juvenile returned to the house without taking part in the robbery/theft. The second juvenile was subsequently identified and his parents contacted. He was issued a citation for a curfew violation.
The juvenile, name withheld due to his age, was ultimately booked at the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall for violation of: 211 PC-Robbery, 148(a)(1) PC – Resist Arrest, 240 PC – Assault, and 9.84.020 WMC (Curfew Violation).
The code you cited for curfew violation is actually a marijuana possession code, I’m curious to know what the curfew is?
That is actually a Willits city violation not a marijuana one . “ It is unlawful for any minor to loiter, idle, wander or in any other manner be in or upon the public streets, or any other public place between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and sunrise the following day.”
Thank you that is really good to know
Believing that the use of Willits are not out on the street after 10 p.m. is Ludacris. I see them all the time 13 and up out on the streets past 10. Whether their parents know where they are or not who knows. Some parents really don’t care enough to know where their children are at night, some do