UKIAH, CA., 10/21/25 – A teenage boy and girl were taken into custody in Ukiah last week after the boy pointed a gun at someone during an argument outside of an apartment complex and the pair then fled from responding officers, police said.
At 10:41 p.m. Thursday, the Ukiah Police Department received a call from a man reporting that two juveniles were in an argument outside an apartment complex near South Dora Street. When the man tried to interject and stop the argument between the boy and girl, the boy allegedly pulled out a pistol from his waistband, loaded a live cartridge into the chamber and pointed it at him.
The boy and girl then fled south on South Dora Street. Ukiah police responded, and an officer checked the Yokayo Elementary School area and found both suspects trying to hide on the north side of the school.
Both were taken into custody and identified as 16-year-olds who were on juvenile probation in Mendocino County. The girl also had a felony arrest warrant for vehicle theft in the county. Their names are not being released because they are juveniles.
A few feet away from where the boy was hiding, officers located the firearm inside a fenced area in a Ukiah resident’s backyard near the school. The firearm was identified as a “ghost gun” because it is unregistered.
As the boy was brought to a Ukiah Police Department patrol vehicle, he escaped again and tried to flee. After a short foot chase, officers were able to detain him again. Both teens were then brought to Mendocino County Juvenile Hall, where they were booked on suspicion of multiple offenses.
The boy was booked on suspicion of brandishing a firearm, possession of an unregistered firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in public, being a minor in possession of a firearm, resisting arrest, and other offenses, while the girl was booked on suspicion of public intoxication, violating juvenile probation, and her outstanding warrant for vehicle theft, police said.
Ukiah has nothing for young people to do.
Like what?
You must live a really boring life without skateboarding and fishing and hiking and biking and playing basketball and soccer and baseball and softball and all sorts of other activities you can do as a teen.
There is plenty for youth to do if they have an interest in doing it. We don’t need to entertain them. They can volunteer at the food bank or animal shelter, work in a community garden, learn to play an instrument, read a book, help a neighbor, play a sport, help their parents with chores. Life doesn’t have to be all about video games, social media and gangs.
Um , yes, yes you do have ro provide them with fun things too, not just service. There has to be fun things. That’s what they need, safe places to have fun and meet each other. They’re children.