VALLEJO — Federal prosecutors have charged a Vallejo man with being a felon in possession of a firearm while on a weekend jail furlough for a juvenile murder conviction, court records show.
De’Quan Mitchell, 22, served a four-year prison sentence for the 2019 murder of 35-year-old Percy Reed, who prosecutors say Mitchell shot in the back of the head outside a Vallejo 7-Eleven. When Mitchell was released on probation in 2024, he was ordered to attend college in Sacramento and participate in a weekend furlough from juvenile hall, court records show.
Instead, prosecutors allege Mitchell was caught attempting to sell a Glock pistol that had been stolen, along with a car, during a robbery last October in American Canyon. Mitchell’s mother was caught driving the stolen Acura and inside the vehicle police found Mitchell’s phone, where he allegedly attempted to sell the pistol for $1,200 in a Telegram group chat entitled “Trap Supply,” authorities said in court filings.
Police raided Mitchell’s Vallejo home and found the gun, an extended magazine, and body armor, according to the criminal complaint. At Mitchell’s initial court appearance, U.S. Magistrate Judge Chi Soo Kim ordered him detained while the case is pending.
Mitchell was 16 when he killed Reed, on Oct. 15, 2019, inside a parked car outside the convenience store on the 2500 block of Springs Road in Vallejo. Two other teens were arrested in connection with the crime, but prosecutors identified Mitchell as the shooter, according to court records. Because of his young age, he was tried as a juvenile, where prison sentences are much shorter than adult court and the justice system emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment.
Reed allegedly walked into the 7-Eleven, made a purchase and returned to the vehicle where Mitchell shot him in the back of the head. Mitchell’s companion yanked a necklace off Reed’s neck before both suspects fled the area, authorities said. They were arrested about 10 days later.
The Mercury News
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