Police Arrest And Charge 11 Year Old California Boy After Saying He Wished He Had A Gun To Rid School Of Bullies Who Tormented Him For Months

Last week, police in Yuba City, California arrested an 11 year old boy, Brenton Peraita, for making criminal threats after he said that he wished he had a gun to get rid of some other students whom Brenton says have been bullying and harassing him, according to a report by FOX 40. Brenton’s father, Jose, says that “His reward for standing up for himself and saying, 'I'm no longer going to be the victim,' was a ride to the police department and a mug shot.” Brenton was also finger printed, and issued a citation. "They called me names and stuff," Brenton said. "They called me 'Brentina,' and 'homo,' and 'fag,'" he says. The Peraita's say bullies also broke Brenton's glasses. They say the problem has continued for months, and they have gone to the school to complain on at least fifty occasions. "We don't have a gun. That was the day he decided to stand-up for himself," Jose Peraita said. Police confirmed that no actual gun was located in the course of their investigation. Shawna Pavey, spokesperson for the Yuba City Police Department, said that although Brenton is young, “the youth in this situation doesn’t negate that the threat to shoot other children was made on school campus." When asked if administrators at Riverbend Elementary did anything and everything possible to prevent this situation, Jose Peraita says "Not only did nothing get corrected, it actually escalated." But school officials deny that allegation, and suggest that they have held assemblies among other steps to address the bullying problem. "We understand that it does happen, and we're not going to say it doesn't. Let's be realistic," said Bruce Morton, the school's director of attendance and student welfare. "But I will tell you when I heard 'a year and a half,' and there were '50 times,' I can tell you that number is way out of whack." According to the Yuba City Police Department, citations were also issued to the other three students involved in the incident. Jose Peraita acknowledges that, in the present context of school violence and tragedy on campuses around the country, threats need to be taken seriously, but says that should have happened long ago when his son first felt threatened by the bullies. The Peraita's say they don't know yet whether Brenton will be returning to Riverbend Elementary. He was suspended Tuesday and Wednesday.