FOOTBALL: Youngblood will not face charges
Someone has some explaining to do in this situation.
By Molly R. Okeon
Staff Writer
[BODY]PASADENA — John Muir High School’s star running back Willie Youngblood returned to the campus a free man Friday morning, after prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence that Youngblood had taken part in a melee at the school.
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said her office “declined to file any case” against Youngblood. She cited “insufficient evidence to proceed.”
“I’m glad that he is home,” Youngblood’s mother, Vickie Youngblood, said Friday afternoon. “He always said he was innocent.”
Youngblood’s attorney, Philip E. Koebel, said in an e-mail that the 18-year-old was released from Eastlake Central Juvenile Facility at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
He said he is still looking into some aspects of his client’s arrest.
“There are a lot of things offensive about the way Mr. Youngblood was treated, such as the fact he was arrested directly out of class,” he said.
On Tuesday, Youngblood, a 5-foot-8, 202-pound running back who rushed for 1,280 yards and scored 19 touchdowns last season, was arrested at the Muir campus by Pasadena police.
He was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon — his hands and feet, police said.
The Dec. 14 melee allegedly involved large numbers of Muir students, at least 11 of whom were arrested almost immediately, officials have said.
The nine girls and two boys were released to the custody of their parents shortly after their arrests and are scheduled to return to court early next month.
They are charged with assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury with gang enhancements, hate-crime enhancements and battery with gang and hate-crime enhancements, among other charges.
Prosecutors said the incident began when several black students with gang affiliations began assaulting Latino students.
No weapons were used and no one was seriously injured, officials said.
Dana Krull, associate pastor of Pasadena’s Church of the Foothills, who is a friend of the Youngblood family, said in an e-mail that the young man will be the first in his family to graduate from high school.
But the process of being led out of class and arrested, then spending nearly three days in jail still weighs heavily in his mind, Willie Youngblood said at a news conference his attorney called Friday to discuss the case.
“It was uncomfortable, I felt like an animal,” he said.
It wasn’t any easier for his parents, they said.
“It was stressful. We were worried and not getting any sleep,” said his father, Willie Youngblood Sr.
Youngblood and his parents said they hoped the incident does not affect his educational ambitions.
“I’m glad he’s back in school as he should be,” Vickie Youngblood said. “I just want him to be able to go to college and get a degree.”
Willie Youngblood said he has his sites set on obtaining a football scholarship. He also wants to bump his grade point average from a 2.9 to at least 3.5 before the school year ends in order to earn an academic scholarship, he said.
Since the student’s arrest, there has been an outpouring of support for him from residents, said Jean Burch, pastor of the Community Bible Church.
“There was a tremendous amount of community support,” said Burch. “The faith community, pastors, the NAACP — we were all hopeful to end this quickly.”
Staff Writer Robert S. Hong contributed to this story.
molly.okeon@sgvn.com
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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If Texas decides to preserve the Big 12 (10) who will they invite to replace the defectors?
Assuming the Big 12 South bolts (which is going to happen with Nebraska's anouncement) I would like to see the remaining North teams make a bid to join the Mountain West. It could be pretty sweet. Mt West Conf - West division - Boise St, BYU, Utah, Air Force, Wyoming, UNLV, San Diego St, New Mexico. East Division - Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Mizzou (If they don't bail to Big 10 given the chance), Baylor, TCU, Colorado St, Houston, UTEP, or somebody like that.
Assuming the Big 12 South bolts (which is going to happen with Nebraska's anouncement) I would like to see the remaining North teams make a bid to join the Mountain West. It could be pretty sweet. Mt West Conf - West division - Boise St, BYU, Utah, Air Force, Wyoming, UNLV, San Diego St, New Mexico. East Division - Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Mizzou (If they don't bail to Big 10 given the chance), Baylor, TCU, Colorado St, Houston, UTEP, or somebody like that.
Scott,
can you check what is happening with posts?? I sent the "censor" post below...but when I use my name..it does not post
Goldenarm
censor is chewing hungrily
SCOTT
I know you are probably tired of hearing what Fred has going on at the Trib site...BUT I definitely like the "Monday...anything to do with football topic" just starting over there.
It would allow for some free flow of ideas to boost whatever offseason things and topics you might throw in..and could keep some some of the core fball bloggers checking back now and then.
What do you think??
CIF vote
Besides the public / private school playoff vote - what else is on the CIF table for review and vote that might affect the SGV? Are there actually realignment decisions being weighed that would affect the Pac,MVL, Almont,RHL etc ??
I've been hearing the talk like everyone else...but on the CIF site I could not find anything related to this
I am glad he got out and now hopefully he can go on to college or whatever he wants to pursue in life and get out of all this dumb stuff which the media puts as "latinos vs africans americans, which it is not. it is dumb people vs dumb people. ignorant people who have no life and think they are tough and better than the rest. and the only thing the media is do is hyping it up by saying africans vs latinos. it only makes BOTH communities look bad.
I think having college recruiters pull you out of class is a better honor. I'm sure Willie agrees.
Having family,friends and the church in his corner should give Youngblood an edge getting on with his life.
Somebody said being arrested out of class is a badge of honor nowadays - apparently Youngblood smartly disagreed with that notion.
Hopefully colleges will not take perception as reality, as happens too often. I hope Willie becomes the first person from his family to graduate high school and college. Good luck.