SANTA ANA : Boy Held After Shot Is Fired at 2 Deputies

A 13-year-old boy was arrested Friday after he allegedly shot at two undercover sheriff’s deputies in their unmarked car, police said.

Police said the two Orange County officers were heading west on 6th Street near Shelton Street at 11:25 a.m. when they saw a group of boys standing on the street.

As the officers drove by, “one of the juveniles yelled at them . . . possibly a gang slogan,” said Santa Ana Police spokeswoman Maureen Haacker. “It’s undetermined what exactly they said, but the officers believed it was a gang slogan.”

One of the boys then stepped out into the street, reached into his waistband and “pulled out a gun and fired at least one shot at the officers,” Haacker said. No one was hit.

The officers armed themselves and called for assistance, Haacker said. By then, the boys had crossed Santa Ana Boulevard and were standing among a group of people who had gathered on the street, she added.

The youth who allegedly fired at the officers then walked into the middle of the intersection, “waving at the officers to come toward him,” said Haacker.

It is not known whether the boy knew the two men were deputies, and the deputies did not identify themselves as such, Haacker said.

The officers did not advance until a backup police car arrived, when the boys ran in various directions, Haacker said. The officers did not fire any shots.

Santa Ana police searched the area and later brought in five boys, whose ages ranged from 12 to 14, for questioning. A 13-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and booked into the county Juvenile Hall. The others were released to their parents.