Gang fight at boys ranch diverts attention
Four teens remain at large after escaping from the William F. James Boys Ranch during a fight between Norteño and Sureño gang members.
The fight, which started about 8:45pm Wednesday in a recreation room, involved 14 youths, said Sheila Mitchell, chief probation officer for the county’s Probation Department.
No weapons were involved in the fight, which was quickly quelled by facility staff, but during the melee the four teens fled from the facility.
Mitchell said force was not needed to control the situation.
Two youths were taken to Valley Medical Center in San Jose for treatment of minor injuries. Mitchell said that while there was some blood from the boys’ injuries, she would “certainly not describe the fight as a very bloody one.” The two are now at Juvenile Hall.
Ten youths involved in the melee – including the two treated at the hospital – were transferred Wednesday night to Juvenile Hall in San Jose. Because they were involved in a gang-related incident, the teens are in protective custody.
The boys who escaped are not considered a major threat to the community, Mitchell said.
The ranch, located in wooded, rural area in northeast Morgan Hill near Anderson Lake Park, is fenced but is not considered a secure facility. The property has dorms for the boys, classroom facilities, recreation rooms and a dining hall.
The William F. James Boys Ranch is one of two minimum-security residential facilities providing treatment and educational services for male offenders. Youth are Court ordered to complete a 120-day program. Educational, vocational, medical, mental health and aftercare services are provided based on individual assessment and case management needs.
An investigation into what sparked the incident is under way, Mitchell said Thursday.
There was adequate staff on hand to handle the situation, Mitchell said. The facility complies with probation guidelines, which require one staff member for every 15 boys.
“With one supervisor plus six staff members, we had more than enough staff for the 50 boys at the Ranch,” she said.
The boys range in age from 16-18.
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department officers, Morgan Hill Police and Sasko the MHPD police dog, searched the area for several hours Wednesday night. A police helicopter also took part in the search.
Mitchell said the sentences of youths who leave the ranch are usually increased as a result of their escape.
Younger male offenders and girls are confined at the Murial Wright Residential Center at the top of Bernal Road in southwest San Jose near Santa Teresa Park and IBM.
Until June 30, 2004, the Morgan Hill site housed the Harold Holden Ranch and James F. Boys Ranch. At that time, the younger boys were moved to the Murial Wright center.
Youths sentenced to the boys’ ranch through the juvenile court system typically commit less serious offenses than those sentenced to the California Youth Authority facility in San Jose. Youths are committed to CYA for felonies and crimes involving violence.
Staff Writer Marilyn Dubil contributed to this report.
