California has agreed to pay Thomas Perez Jr. $900,000 following a lawsuit that revealed severe misconduct by police officers during his 17-hour interrogation, where they coerced him into falsely confessing to the murder of his still-living father.
In 2018, the Fontana police, located east of Los Angeles, questioned Perez Jr. after he reported his father, Thomas Perez Sr., missing. Despite Perez Sr. being found safe, police accused Perez Jr. of murder. During the interrogation, officers used threats to kill Perez Jr.’s dog and subjected him to intense psychological pressure.
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The officers repeatedly claimed Perez Jr. had killed his father and forgotten due to mental illness. They fabricated evidence, falsely asserting they found blood and detected the smell of a dead body in Perez Jr.’s home. Undergoing withdrawal and sleep deprivation, Perez Jr. eventually succumbed to the pressure and falsely confessed.
Interrogation footage showed Perez Jr. in severe distress, pleading for medical help, pulling out his hair, and attempting self-harm while officers laughed. They even lied about discovering his father’s body, which pushed Perez Jr. to the brink.
A federal judge condemned the police actions as “unconstitutional psychological torture.” The city settled the case for $898,000. Perez Jr.’s attorney, Jerry Steering, highlighted the case as a stark example of how easily false confessions can be extracted and criticized the police for their deliberate cruelty.
The ordeal began on August 7, 2018, when Perez Sr. went out to get the mail and did not return. The following day, Perez Jr. reported him missing. Finding Perez Jr.’s behavior suspicious, police arrested and interrogated him, claiming they had evidence of a crime, which Steering denied.
Throughout the interrogation, police continuously accused Perez Jr. of murder, causing him significant physical and emotional distress. Video footage showed him pulling out his hair and hitting himself in anguish. The officers even brought in his dog, making it appear the dog was distressed by witnessing a staged death.
The false confession came after police lied about finding Perez Jr.’s father’s body. Left alone, Perez Jr. attempted suicide, indicating the extreme distress caused by the interrogation. He was then placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold, during which he first learned about his Miranda rights.
The nightmare concluded when Perez Sr.’s daughter confirmed he was alive and traveling. Nevertheless, the police held Perez Jr. in solitary confinement in a mental hospital for three days, believing both his father and dog were dead. He eventually retrieved his dog from the pound.
The Fontana police have not commented on the incident or disclosed any disciplinary actions against the involved officers. Steering emphasized the case’s significance in demonstrating the power of police coercion and the ease with which false confessions can be obtained.
