In Central Valley, a real-life ‘Jump Street’

Johnny Ramirez got better grades during his second stint in high school. Unfortunately for him, this senior year didn’t count.

The undercover police officer posed as a high school student for eight months to aid a Central Valley drug bust. While he worked with investigators on the Police Department’s payroll, he also did everything a student at Exeter Union High School would be required to do.

“He would come into the narcotics investigations office and do homework,” City Manager Randy Groom said. “Then he would start on his police reports.”

Last week, police in Exeter, Calif., which is southeast of Fresno, arrested 13 students, ages 15 to 19, on drug-related charges. Now that the operation is finally over, Groom said the unidentified 22-year-old officer will suit up for regular patrol duty later this week. The officer, who used the pseudonym Johnny Ramirez, wore his uniform for the first time Wednesday as he aided authorities making arrests on campus.

Groom said the officer, who was from neighboring Visalia, was plucked out of the police academy specifically for the drug operation because of his youthful appearance. Residents have told city officials that the real-life drama resembles the plot line of the “21 Jump Street” television show — and now movie — about undercover officers who infiltrated high schools.

“He was very clearly a good choice for this,” Groom said. “He looks like he’s 15 years old. He still has braces on.”

The city began considering an undercover operation after receiving complaints from residents about drugs at the school. Groom said only three school officials, two members of law enforcement and Groom knew about the operation. Groom said city authorities deliberately selected someone from outside the 10,000-person town to ensure no one knew the officer.

“We knew the only way to practically do it was to get someone in there and break it apart,” Groom said. “He will face some interesting situations when he runs into some friends from school.”

The officer told students that he had been expelled from a neighboring school district and that he had to leave campus at lunch every day to help his uncle run a business. The officer would leave campus around noon and indeed report to work –- at the narcotics lab.

“We limited his activities,” Groom said. “Part of the reason we had him leave at noon was so that he would not get involved with the lunch activities or get a ride from someone else.”

The arrests sent a buzz through the town, where officials say everybody knows everybody.

Donna Barlow, 52, of Visalia said she was proud of the Police Department and was pleased no one was hurt in the sting. Barlow’s 16-year-old son Jarod is a junior at Exeter Union.

“Everybody was very amazed by the whole deal, the way they pulled it off, and how much time they spent,” she said. “It gives me a real proud feeling about this town.”

Exeter resident Amber Bonds, 21, manages Hole in the Wall Pizza, three blocks from the school. She said that the bust was all anyone talked about last week at her family’s restaurant.

“We’ve never had anything like this happen before,” Bonds said. “I heard a lot of complaints from the kids. It’s like having a friend who snitches on you.”

Indeed, the officer got surprised looks from students when he helped make arrests Wednesday. The local newspaper, the Visalia Times-Delta, reported that students never suspected that their friend was a cop.

“I sat next to Johnny Ramirez in three classes,” 17-year-old senior Lance Rowell told the paper. “We really got to know each other.”

Groom said the officer’s cover was almost blown on the first day when a teacher, who had no knowledge of the situation, pointed to the new kid and joked that the class had “an undercover narc officer” in the room.

Groom said the officer played along and randomly pointed to another student in the class. No one suspected the officer until he arrived back on campus, in uniform.

matt.stevens@latimes.com