A man who underwent a 17-hour interrogation by police that led to a false confession of murdering his father, who was, in fact, alive, will receive $900,000 from the city of Fontana.
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Thomas Perez Jr. underwent psychological torment in August 2018 when the two police officers, David Janusz and Jeremey Hale, reportedly threatened to euthanize his dog and suggested the animal was suffering from depression due to witnessing a murder that never happened. Footage of the encounter showed Perez in distress while speaking with the officers. On the evening of August 7, Perez Sr. left the house with their dog to get mail and didn’t return home. The following day, Perez Jr. reported his father missing to the police. According to The Guardian, Officer Joanna Piña, who answered the call, claimed his demeanor sounded suspicious, along with her supervisor, Cpl Sheila Foley, who brought him to the station for questioning.
Investigators claimed they found “visible bloodstains” in Perez’s home and that a police dog detected the scent of a dead body. For hours, he was subjected to hours of intense questioning. At the same time, officers obtained search warrants, and there was one instance where officers drove him around, claiming they were investigating his father’s disappearance while continuously accusing him of murder and denying him medical attention.
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The disturbing video footage of the interrogation showed Perez pulling his hair and hitting himself while officers claimed he had killed his father and didn’t remember it. It also revealed Perez’s deteriorating condition, as he was sleep-deprived, mentally ill, and experiencing withdrawal from his psychiatric medications. Officers then threatened him with a $1 million restitution charge if he didn’t reveal his father’s location.
Eventually, detectives falsely informed Perez that his father’s body was found, leading him to confess falsely. He attempted to take his life when officers left him alone in the room. They placed him in an involuntary psychiatric hold, where he was finally read his Miranda rights. That night, officers learned that Perez Sr. was alive after receiving a call from his daughter and was on his way to visit her in northern California. However, officers didn’t inform Perez about it, leaving him on hold for three days.
Perez’s lawyer, Steering, revealed that Perez Sr. had been visiting a friend, explaining his absence. The officers involved have no released a statement regarding the incident.
