California has agreed to pay Thomas Perez Jr. a sum of $900,000 following a disturbing incident that unfolded during his 17-hour interrogation by police officers. Perez Jr. was coerced into falsely confessing that he had killed his father, Thomas Perez Sr., who was, in fact, alive and well. This settlement comes in the wake of a lawsuit that exposed the egregious misconduct of the police officers involved.
The ordeal began in 2018 when police in Fontana, located east of Los Angeles, questioned Perez Jr. after he reported his father missing. Despite Mr. Perez Sr. being eventually located unharmed, the police accused Perez Jr. of murdering his father. During the interrogation, officers subjected Perez Jr. to threats against his dog and intense psychological pressure.
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Throughout the interrogation, the officers continuously insisted that Perez Jr. had murdered his father and then forgotten about it due to his alleged mental illness. They falsely claimed to have discovered blood and the smell of a decomposing body in Perez Jr.’s residence. Perez Jr., who was experiencing withdrawal symptoms and sleep deprivation, was relentlessly accused, eventually leading him to provide a false confession.
Video evidence of the interrogation revealed Perez Jr. in extreme distress. While he pleaded for medical assistance, the officers callously laughed. Perez Jr. exhibited signs of extreme emotional duress, pulling out his hair and attempting self-harm. The officers’ false claim of finding his father’s body pushed Perez Jr. to a breaking point.
A federal judge denounced the officers’ actions as “unconstitutional psychological torture.” The city of Fontana agreed to settle the case for $900,000. Jerry Steering, Perez Jr.’s attorney, highlighted the case as a stark example of the ease with which false confessions can be coerced and criticized the officers for their deliberate cruelty.
The incident unfolded on August 7, 2018, when Perez Sr. left his home to retrieve the mail and did not return. Perez Jr. reported his father missing the following day, which led to his arrest for questioning. The police deemed Perez Jr.’s behavior suspicious and claimed to have found evidence of a crime during a search of his home, a claim that Steering refuted.
During the interrogation, the officers persistently accused Perez Jr. of murder, causing him immense physical and emotional anguish. Distraught, Perez Jr. was captured on video pulling out his hair and self-inflicting injuries. The officers even brought in Perez Jr.’s dog, insinuating the animal’s sadness over the supposed demise of its owner.
The officers’ false assertion that they had located Perez Jr.’s father’s body eventually coerced him into a false confession. Left alone, Perez Jr. attempted suicide, underscoring the traumatic nature of the interrogation. Subsequently, he was placed under involuntary psychiatric hold, during which he was informed of his Miranda rights.
The ordeal only ended when Perez Sr.’s daughter revealed that he was alive and well, traveling at the time. Despite this revelation, Perez Jr. was confined in a mental health facility for three days, as the police mistakenly believed his father and dog to be deceased. Eventually, he was reunited with his dog, which had been impounded by the authorities.
As of now, the Fontana police department has not provided any statements regarding the incident or disclosed any disciplinary actions taken against the officers involved. Steering emphasized the significance of the case, highlighting the power of police coercion and the ease with which false confessions can be obtained.
