BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The 15-year-old teen charged with the shooting death of another made his first court appearance in Juvenile Court on Wednesday morning. Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer identified the suspect as Gabriel Torres Reyes.
A judge ordered Reyes to remain in custody on a first-degree murder charge in the death of 17-year-old Levi Brown, who was shot at a football game at Independence High School last Friday.
Prosecutors charged Reyes with premeditated, first-degree murder, along with a gang enhancement and an allegation that he personally used a firearm causing Brown's death. Reyes denied the charges and allegations — the juvenile court equivalent of a not-guilty plea.
Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said California law requires the case to remain in juvenile court because Reyes was 15 at the time of the shooting.
"Is this the district attorney's choice in doing so? No, it is not. It is the law," Zimmer said.
Zimmer explains SB 1391, enacted by the California legislature and signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2018, prohibits prosecutors from charging anyone under the age of 16 in adult court, regardless of the crime. In adult court, a murder conviction with a special circumstance carries life without parole or potentially the death penalty. In juvenile court, Reyes faces a confinement term of 4 to 7 years if convicted of first-degree murder.
"We are seeing homicide cases in which these younger gangsters are committing these types of crimes. We're seeing that throughout California, so it's not our choice. I'm not happy about it," Zimmer said.
Zimmer identified the shooting as gang-related, saying Reyes is affiliated with the Warlord Piru Bloods and Brown was affiliated with the East Side Crips. She said neither teen was enrolled in school at the time of the shooting. Reyes had previously attended Ridgeview High School but had been expelled for a period of time.
In addition to the murder charge, Reyes also faces charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and violation of probation.
Chief Trial Deputy Gina Pearl said Reyes has a criminal history spanning the past year. It began last July when he was caught in a stolen vehicle, which he used to joyride and crash into multiple properties over roughly 6 hours, causing multiple collisions before being taken into custody. Days after his release, he assaulted his mother with a knife, punches and kicks. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest and other charges. The petition was sustained — the juvenile court equivalent of a conviction — and he was placed on probation.
As part of his probation, Reyes was prohibited from possessing any weapons, including a firearm, and from associating with known gang members. He later faced an additional petition for battering his stepfather and was again placed on probation with similar terms. In April and July of this year, he violated those terms by being out past curfew, being caught with illegal contraband at school, possessing other illegal items and associating with known gang members.
"He was not even supposed to be in possession of a firearm last Friday night, let alone use it to execute the victim," Pearl said.
Zimmer pointed to a prior Kern County case as an example of what she called the consequences of SB 1391. She said Gabriel Prieto, a juvenile with an extensive record, went on a nine-person armed robbery spree in 2017. A juvenile court judge agreed to try Prieto as an adult, and he entered a plea to 23 years. Before sentencing, SB 1391 passed. Zimmer's office argued the law was unconstitutional, but the California Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that it was constitutional. Prieto served his time in juvenile court, and after his release, committed additional robberies and then a murder in 2024. He was found guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances and faces sentencing in the coming weeks.
"Had the legislature not passed 1391, he would have been in prison, and our victim would still be alive," Zimmer said.
Reyes' next court hearing is set for September 8. Zimmer said the readiness hearing is open to the public.
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