In re J.S. CA2/8

Filed 11/2/15 In re J.S. CA2/8 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION EIGHT

In re J.S., a Person Coming Under the B260961 Juvenile Court Law. (Los Angeles County THE PEOPLE, Super. Ct. No. TJ21823)

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

J.S.,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Catherine J. Pratt, Juvenile Referee. Affirmed.

Holly Jackson, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Chief Assistant Attorney General and Lance E. Winters, Assistant Attorney General, Kenneth C. Byrne and Shira Seigle Markovich, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

__________________________

Minor J.S. appeals from the order declaring him a ward of the juvenile court after the court found that the minor had been in the possession of both ammunition and a loaded and unregistered firearm. Minor contends the trial court erred by denying his motion to suppress evidence of the weapon and the ammunition on the ground that the detention and search that led to the discovery of those items were not justified. We disagree and therefore affirm the order.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY1

Shortly before 11:00 p.m. on November 14, 2014, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies Jason Pearson and James Krase arrived at 711 North Rose Street in Compton to investigate an anonymous phone tip that several adult male Hispanic gang members were loitering and drinking at that location. According to Pearson, this was a high crime area and was home to the Compton Varrio 124 street gang. The neighborhood was known for gun and drug possession, shootings, graffiti, vandalism, and stolen cars. Mirror image apartment complexes are located at 711 and 713 North Rose Street. Each complex is separated by a block wall, and on either side of the block wall are 50- foot long driveways that lead to carports. The deputies walked down the 711 driveway, where they saw no people but did find two partly empty cans of Bud Light that were cold to the touch. The deputies decided to check out the 713 property and began walking down that driveway. According to Deputy Pearson, the layout of the driveway and block wall formed a long corridor that left the deputies in a poor tactical position should they encounter a large group of people. After walking down the 713 driveway the deputies saw more Bud Light cans on the ground in the vicinity of nine people, all but one of whom appeared to be minors. One of the nine was sprawled across the hood of a Honda and appeared to be either