In re L.F. CA4/1

BACKGROUND

On the afternoon of April 15, 2012, Jeffrey Smith was working in his front yard.

His garage door was about halfway open. Smith saw two males walk by and saw L.F. in

his driveway. Smith then noticed his child's scooter was between two cars parked in the

driveway. The scooter had previously been in Smith's garage. Smith called out to L.F.

L.F. walked away and Smith followed him. Smith called the police. L.F., who had been

detained nearby with two companions, told a police officer he had seen the scooter in the

driveway and walked onto the property with the intention of stealing it. L.F. denied

having entered the garage.

Shortly after midnight on August 21, 2012, police Officer Patrick Kelly was

driving a marked patrol car. He noticed a moving sedan with no headlights. Kelly turned

on his overhead lights and siren. The driver accelerated rapidly, sped through stop signs

and collided with a truck. The sedan slowed and L.F. opened the driver's side door,

jumped out, rolled on the ground and ran into the front yard of a residence. Kelly chased

L.F. but lost sight of him. Other officers set up a perimeter. L.F. was detained about a

block…