The 17-year-old accused of shooting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall during a botched armed robbery attempt last weekend was arraigned in juvenile court Wednesday, a day after he was charged with multiple felonies, including attempted murder.
Judge Roger C. Chan read the charges against the teenager, who because he is a minor was referred to only by his initials. The allegations include personal use and intentional discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery,
The young man, whom police have said lives in Tracy, about 70 miles east of San Francisco, sat facing forward through the short proceeding, next to his court-appointed public defender, Bob Dunlap. His parents sat in the front row of benches reserved for the public, a few feet from their son. His mother required a Spanish-speaking translator.
Assistant Dist. Atty. David Mitchell said members of Pearsall’s family also attended the hearing, though he did not specify which family members or whether they joined online or in-person.
Neither the suspect nor his family made any public comments. While taking questions from the media after the hearing, Dunlap said the teenager — who he described as a high school senior — and his parents were “very sorry” about the shooting.
“This is very, very hard on them,” Dunlap said. “They assured me, and from what little I know, that this is completely out of character for him.”
Pearsall, 23, was walking back to his car alone after shopping in one of the luxury stores in San Francisco’s Union Square district on Saturday afternoon when, according to police, the suspect confronted Pearsall and attempted to rob him, reportedly targeting his Rolex watch. A struggle ensued, and the attacker’s gun fired multiple times, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said during a Saturday evening news conference. Both Pearsall and the assailant were shot.
A bullet struck Pearsall in the chest and exited through his back, missing his vital organs, according to a social media post by his mother. He was treated at San Francisco General Hospital and released on Sunday.
The suspect was shot in his left arm and treated at the same hospital, according to police. Dunlap said his client is bandaged but recovering well.
Dunlap said it was too early to address questions about why the teenager was in San Francisco, or his motives. Dunlap said he has read a police report on the incident, but has not yet been able to review footage of the shooting that investigators are gathering from area surveillance cameras, which he believed would shed more light on what happened.
He added that there were “extenuating circumstances” that he believed could factor into the case, but provided no details. He also said he wasn’t convinced the attempted murder charge would “hold water at the end of the day.”
A probation official revealed during the hearing that the suspect has a pending juvenile court matter in San Joaquin County. Officials provided no details on that case, though Dunlap said his client would likely be transferred back to San Joaquin County after the San Francisco proceedings conclude.
San Francisco Dist. Atty. Brooke Jenkins has not yet said whether she would seek to try the teenager in adult court. That would require a ruling by a judge that “essentially means that the juvenile system would not be equipped to rehabilitate that minor,” Jenkins said.
Dunlap said it would be inappropriate for the case to be transferred out of juvenile court.
“I think that my client certainly should be treated as a juvenile. He is a juvenile,” Dunlap said.
Pearsall, who played for Arizona State and the University of Florida in college, was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. He was sidelined with a shoulder injury during much of the NFL preseason.
The 49ers have put Pearsall on the non-football injury list, meaning he will miss at least the first four regular-season games. Team officials have said they expect him to make a full recovery.