Family Of OC Teen Killed By Police Files Legal Claim Against City, Law Enforcement

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — The family of a 15-year-old boy fatally shot by Santa Ana police filed a legal claim with the city, alleging Tuesday the teen was killed by "trigger-happy" officers who failed to de-escalate his mental health crisis.

The shooting happened at around 10:30 p.m. June 14 in the 3400 block of South Main Street in Santa Ana after police responded to a call from a 53-year-old man who said his girlfriend's son had a knife and was vandalizing property while under the influence.

Upon arrival, officers said they heard an argument coming from the apartment. Santa Ana Police Department spokesperson Natalie Garcia said that officers entered and found a teen armed with a knife and the 53-year-old man suffering from a stab wound.

"Our officers gave several commands to the 16-year-old to put the knife down," Garcia said. "The 16-year-old refused, and that's when an officer-involved shooting occurred.

The teen was originally listed as being 16 years old before he was later identified as 15-year-old Jayden Michaca, of Santa Ana.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 53-year-old man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Michaca's mother was injured and treated at the scene, police said.

Maribel Michaca said at a news conference in front of the Santa Ana police station Tuesday that she had been "struggling" with her son's mental health issues for about two years. Part of his diagnosis had been bipolar, she said.

So when he was experiencing another crisis she called 911 as she was directed to in the past to get the psychiatric experts to respond. In the past, he had been hospitalized and treated, she said.

"It was not the first time Santa Ana police came to my home," she said, struggling to hold back tears as she spoke about her "loving" son.

Maribel Michaca's boyfriend had suffered a cut as he tried to get a knife away from Jaden, Maribel Michaca said. She insisted the teen posed no threat to her or her boyfriend.

"These police officers didn't care," Maribel Michaca said. "They just shot him in front of my eyes."

She said the officers "kicked the door open and opened fire" as she pleaded with them, "please don't shoot. He's having a mental health crisis."

She implored the officers to use a stun gun, she said.

"They just started shooting. They didn't even care about my safety," she said.

Santa Ana police said the boyfriend told officers before they entered the apartment that he had been stabbed and that he believed the teen was "under the influence, and was vandalizing property."

Maribel Michaca said the department's spokeswoman, Officer Natalie Garcia, had responded to a prior call for help with her son.

A message left with Garcia was not immediately returned.

"Santa Ana PD had records of all of this," Maribel Michaca said of her son's mental health issues. "(Garcia) knew the whole situation of how my son was struggling."

Maribel Michaca said her boyfriend was "still in shock" about the shooting.

"My son didn't stab him," she said. "It was an accident."

Jaden Michaca's aunt, Jazmin Michaca, said her nephew told her during their last visit that he wanted to finish high school, go to community college and get a job as a mechanic. He had a passion for collecting Pokemon cards and would volunteer to help at a local business, his mother and aunt said.

"Jaden was always such a loving kid," she said. "Always willing to help."

Family attorney Dominique Boubion said the "situation was 100% preventable. It shouldn't have happened."

Attorneys Luis A. Carrillo and his son and partner Michael S. Carrillo said the officers cannot shoot unless there is an "imminent threat" to life. They are obligated to first attempt to de-escalate the tension, they said.

Luis Carrillo characterized the officers as "trigger-happy."

The attorneys pointed to Maribel Michaca's hand and noted that she was injured in the shooting.

"Their training is to de-escalate," Luis Carrillo said. "He never took a step toward the officers. They came to him and blasted him to kingdom come."

City News Service contributed to this report.