In re A.H. CA6

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. The Offenses On the afternoon of January 23, 2023,2 14-year-old E.B. and his friend rode a bus home from middle school. When they got off the bus, E.B. saw “a group of kids” outside his apartment complex. The group included appellant, who was E.B.’s schoolmate. E.B. and appellant “were not on good terms” because of “problems” E.B. had with another minor who “brought [appellant]” into the situation.3 E.B. and his friend walked toward E.B.’s older brother, 16-year-old I.B., and his friend, 15-year-old G.M. Appellant’s group and E.B.’s group exchanged “swear words” and variously moved toward and away from each other.

1 Unspecified statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code. 2 Unless otherwise indicated, all dates were in 2023. 3 At appellant’s jurisdictional hearing in the juvenile court, E.B. testified that he did not want to be present in court. Further, at the conclusion of his testimony, E.B. asked the court whether he could “remove the charges” against appellant. 2 Appellant was wearing a “fanny pack” across his chest. Appellant walked toward E.B. and unzipped his fanny pack. E.B. saw appellant reach into it for…