Woman Gunned Down While Speaking with Terrified Female Relative
16-year-old boy is believed to have killed a 38-year-old woman and assaulted a 15-year-old girl
The sun was just rising above the hills in the northeast corner of Mendocino County when blasts of gunfire overpowered the ordinary sounds of a rural community rousing itself on a Sunday morning in spring. The noise heralded a harrowing series of events — a fifteen-year-old girl fleeing a 16-year-old boy with a weapon, an assault, and then the murder of the girl’s relative.
At approximately 6:13 a.m., dispatchers at the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received an urgent call: a woman had been shot, and a Good Samaritan was rushing her to the Covelo Volunteer Fire Department on Highway 162.
When the driver arrived at the fire station, however, they could not get anyone to come to the door. Desperate for help, the driver took the wounded woman to a residence on South Airport Road.
By the time sheriff’s deputies arrived, it was too late. Neighbors and bystanders were gathered around a 38-year-old woman suffering from what authorities described as “numerous suspected gunshot wounds.” She was unconscious, and her heart was faltering.
Working alongside members of the Round Valley Tribal Police, deputies began administering CPR. They continued until emergency medical personnel arrived. Despite every effort, the woman could not be saved. She was pronounced dead at 6:55 a.m.
A Morning of Terror
In the hours that followed, detectives from the Sheriff’s Investigations Bureau pieced together a disturbing picture of domestic violence among juveniles who were just barely old enough to drive.
The fifteen-year-old girl was on the road early, driving through Covelo, when she realized she was being followed. According to authorities, the driver of the car that was pursuing her was a 16-year-old boy. The girl and the boy had been dating. But the relationship had turned sour. It included at least one incident of domestic violence that had not been reported, authorities said.
As the girl drove, the boy took out a gun and began shooting at her car. He followed her, firing, as she drove to multiple locations. Finally, she stopped. The boy forced the girl out of her car at gunpoint and assaulted her.
After the attack, he let her leave.
A Phone Call and a Manhunt
The girl was on the phone, telling a female relative what had happened, when she heard the shots.
Authorities believe the shooter was the 16-year-old boy. Arrest warrants were issued charging the boy with stalking, criminal threats, and domestic battery in connection with the assault on the girl. Additional charges related to the murder — including first-degree murder and personal use of a firearm during the commission of a felony — are being sought through the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.
By the time authorities had the paperwork necessary to arrest the boy, he was gone.
Investigators received information he had fled Covelo and was believed to be somewhere near Oroville in Butte County, about 100 miles to the northeast. Investigators coordinated with local law enforcement there, but for two days, the boy evaded arrest.
The break investigators needed came in the morning of Tuesday, April August 21, when Oroville police located the 16 year old at a local restaurant. When officers moved in to make the arrest, he ran, but he didn’t get far.
After a brief foot pursuit, he was taken into custody.
Names Will Not Be Released
As of the writing of this article, the 16-year-old suspect is being held at a juvenile detention facility in Butte County. Authorities said they are working to extradite him to Mendocino County, where he will be booked into the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall.
Because all parties directly involved in the domestic violence incident are minors, their names will not be released. Juvenile records are also protected from public disclosure under California law. The name of the 38-year-old victim is also being withheld pending the completion of a forensic autopsy and notification of her family.
Captain Quincy Cromer of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains active and ongoing. Additional information, including the victim’s identity, is expected to be released as the case progresses.