The 17-year-old accused of shooting and killing San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall during an attempted armed robbery last weekend was arraigned in juvenile court on Wednesday, a day after being charged with multiple felony counts, including attempted murder.
Judge Roger C. Chang read out the charges against the boy, who was referred to only by his initials because he is a minor, including personal use and intentional discharge of a firearm, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery.
The young man, who police said lives in Tracy, about 70 miles east of San Francisco, sat facing forward during the brief hearing next to his court-appointed public defender, Bob Dunlap. His parents sat in the front row of the gallery, just a few feet away from their son. His mother needed a Spanish-speaking interpreter.
Assistant District Attorney David Mitchell said members of Pearsall's family attended the hearing, but did not say which family members attended or whether they participated virtually or in person.
Neither the suspect nor his family commented publicly. Answering questions from reporters after the hearing, Dunlap said the boy, described as a high school senior, and his parents were “very sorry” about the shooting.
“This is very hard on them,” Dunlap said. “They have assured me, and to my knowledge, that this is completely out of character for him.”
Police said Pearsall, 23, was walking alone back to his car after shopping at upscale stores in San Francisco's Union Square neighborhood on Saturday afternoon when a suspect attacked him and attempted to rob him of his Rolex watch. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said at a press conference Saturday night that a struggle ensued and the gunman fired multiple shots. Both Pearsall and the gunman were shot.
According to a social media post from Pearsall's mother, the bullet struck Pearsall in the chest and exited through his back, missing a vital organ. Pearsall was treated at San Francisco General Hospital and released on Sunday.
Police said the suspect was shot in the left arm and was treated at the same hospital. Dunlap said the suspect was bandaged but was recovering well.
Dunlap said it was too early to answer questions about why the boy was in San Francisco or what his motive might have been. He said he has read the police report on the incident but has not yet reviewed the footage of the shooting that investigators are collecting from surveillance cameras in the area, which he believes will shed light on the incident.
He said he believes there are “extenuating circumstances” that may have been a factor in the incident but did not provide details, and he said he is not convinced the attempted murder charge “ultimately holds water.”
A probation officer revealed during the hearing that the suspect has a pending case in San Joaquin County juvenile court. Authorities did not provide details about that case, but Dunlap said his client will likely be transferred back to San Joaquin County after the hearing in San Francisco is over.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has not yet said whether she will try the boy in adult court, which requires a judge's ruling, and Jenkins said “the juvenile detention system is essentially unable to rehabilitate this minor.”
Dunlap said it would be inappropriate to transfer the case out of juvenile court.
“I believe my client should certainly be treated as a minor, because he is a minor,” Dunlap said.
Pearsall, who played collegiately at Arizona State and the University of Florida, was drafted by the 49ers. Round 1 He was listed as a possible candidate for the NFL Draft in 2024. He missed most of the NFL preseason with a shoulder injury.
The 49ers placed Piersall on the non-football injured list, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the regular season. A team source said he Full recovery.
