Family of Santa Ana 15-year-old shot by police files claim, demands justice

The mother of a Santa Ana teenager, along with her family and lawyers, is accusing police of what she says is the reckless and unjustified shooting death of 15-year-old Jaden Michaca earlier this month.

The boy's family is filing a legal claim with the city of Santa Ana, claiming police failed to properly de-escalate the situation.

Maribel Mechaca says her son was going through a mental health episode on June 14, when a 911 call was made to the Santa Ana Police Department.

She says she had called many times before, but this time, instead of a crisis team, it was the police who came face to face with the teen, who officers say was holding a knife.

Mechaca says there was no verbal warning that force would be used, and she watched her son die.

At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, she said, "I yelled to the cops, 'Please do not shoot, please do not shoot, my son is having a mental crisis, do not shoot, tase him, but do not shoot,' and I was standing next to him, and they didn't care," Mechaca said.

She said she had also been hit by gunfire.

Police deny that they had information about a mental health crisis. They say they were responding to a call about a teen under the influence of drugs and alcohol who'd stabbed his mother's boyfriend and was vandalizing their apartment.

"Our police then can still hear Jaden and his mother in a verbal altercation inside," Officer Natalie Garcia said.

"Given the fact that that Jaden had stabbed a victim with a knife, and he was last seen armed with a knife, they attempt to open the door, but it was locked. The officers breached that door, encountered Jaden, and saw that he's still armed with a knife, despite de-escalating the situation. Jaden does not drop the knife."

Attorney Luis Carrillo says police did not use tactics to properly de-escalate the situation.

"That part here is that he never took a step towards the officers. They came to him and blasted him to kingdom come," Carillo said.

Police say the teen had been taken into custody in the past for assaulting his mom