BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — WARNING: This article contains content that some may find disturbing. Readers are asked to exercise discretion.
Two teenagers were arrested after surveillance camera footage showed a boy allegedly being bullied near a California high school.
Surveillance camera footage outside a Bakersfield home on Monday showed two teenagers approaching a 12-year-old boy.
In the footage obtained by KMPH, two juveniles can be heard telling the boy to “lick the sole of my shoe.” When the boy gets on his knee, the other child apparently hits the little boy. The boy then does as he is told.
The video shows other children surrounding the group, apparently recording the incident.
When the homeowner comes outside, the children scatter. The resident asked the boy, “Are you OK?” and the boy answered with tears.
Bakersfield Police said officers responded to the 1400 block of Quartz Hill Road on August 27, 2024, for an assault report. Police said the incident was related to a video circulating on social media that allegedly shows a child being bullied by two students at Golden Valley High School.
With the help of the Kern High School District, officers were able to identify the 14- and 15-year-old suspects pictured in the video.
According to authorities, the teenagers were arrested on Tuesday and taken to a juvenile detention center on charges of assault, false imprisonment and conspiracy.
The video quickly spread on social media.
The victim’s sister, Mariah Washington, held a protest rally in front of the high school on Tuesday, where students and community members called for the exclusion and punishment of the affected children.
The protest took place before the arrests were announced.
Washington told KMPH at the protest, “I didn’t know people cared so much. It’s really touching because he always feels alone. He always feels isolated.”
The Kern High School District released a statement about the incident:
On Monday afternoon, Golden Valley High School administrators were made aware of a video documenting an incident involving students in a neighborhood near campus. The actions depicted in the video are deeply disturbing and are not consistent with the values of Golden Valley High School. We stand firmly against such behavior and do not tolerate bullying.
Golden Valley High School remains committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all students. We are actively investigating this matter and working closely with the Bakersfield Police Department and Kern High School District Police to address it appropriately.
Golden Valley High School encourages anyone who witnesses bullying to immediately report it to an adult on school property or anonymously through the “Bulldog Report” on the home page of the school website.
Another school district that one of the suspects attends also released a statement about the incident:
The Greenfield Union School District has been made aware of a disturbing bullying incident captured on video involving one of our students and several students from another local school district.
Our top priority is the well-being of our students and we have launched an investigation into the incident.
We encourage families to talk to their students about bullying during this time. School safety is a shared responsibility. Greenfield USD offers numerous resources to help families and students, including licensed social workers and counselors on campus and access to the STOP-IT app to report bullying.
