Weird things happen every day in stores. A recent incident in Ceres, California, however, has left the community reeling. That’s because a 15-year-old ran naked into a grocery store after allegedly escaping a home with “feces and urine throughout.”
In March, the unnamed teen entered a Cost Less Foods without any clothing on and in obvious distress. A police investigation has since led to the arrest of his mother, Leandra Renteria, and two others. The details of his home life are seriously disturbing.
A 15-year-old ran naked into a grocery store in California.
At roughly 1:39 p.m. March 26, 2025, Ceres Police Department officers responded to a call regarding a naked person in public. They found a 15-year-old unclothed, autistic male at Cost Less Foods “bound at the wrists,” according to a news release posted on Facebook.
“There were also indicators that he may have been bound at the ankles with multiple visible injuries,” the news release detailed. “Emergency medical aid was dispatched to the scene, and the juvenile was transported to a local hospital for treatment.”
Grocery store workers recounted the shocking scene.
After the incident, employees of the grocery store shared what they witnessed with KCRA.
“I could hear people gasp like, you know, like a sound of shock and I turned and when I did, the young gentleman was coming across the front end with no clothes on,” Rebecca Renard, a senior head clerk, recalled.
“And he was dragging a rope – his left ankle where he had broke loose. That and then he was very thin. He had a 75 to 100, maybe more bruises, several bruises all over his body.”
Meanwhile, a manager of the grocery store, David Avila, said it was immediately clear something was wrong.
“This kid is in trouble and we need to get him help,” he told KCRA. “His wrists were together, and there was another rope on his ankle.”
Managers covered the 15-year-old with a coat and called 911 while comforting him.
The mother showed up looking for her son, prompting a welfare check on her other child.
As officers investigated, the 15-year-old’s mother, Renteria, 36, arrived looking for her son.
“Officers learned she had another autistic child, a 12-year-old female, at their residence in the 1600 block of Richland Avenue,” the news release detailed. “Officers conducted a welfare check and found the 12-year-old safe in the home, however the home was in poor condition.”
When officers arrived, they observed ‘very strong health hazards.’
“The living conditions were, you know, feces and urine throughout the house, strong odors, things that are very strong health hazards that nobody should be living in,” Lt. Jeff Godfrey told KCRA.
After police investigated, both children were taken from the home. The teen and the 12-year-old girl, who was unharmed, have been placed under the care of Child Protective Services, according to police.
Three people have been arrested.
Renteria was arrested in addition to the 15-year-old’s grandmother, Lenore Wilson, 54, and her husband, Gary Wilson, 58. All were charged with child abuse and neglect and booked into Stanislaus County Public Safety Center. Thus far, Renteria remains in jail while the Wilsons are no longer in custody, per KCRA.
