Thomas Perez Jr. Compensated $900,000 After Wrongful Interrogation by Fontana Police
In an unsettling story of psychological torture and false confessions, Thomas Perez Jr. from Fontana, California, has been awarded $900,000 by the city. This comes as reparation after Perez underwent a grueling 17-hour interrogation that led him to confess to a crime he did not commit.
On August 7, 2018, Thomas Perez Sr., 71, took his dog for a walk. When the dog returned alone, Perez Jr. reported his father missing to the police. Rather than taking his report seriously, the police accused him of parricide.
What followed was a horrendous ordeal. The police, convinced of Perez Jr.'s guilt, subjected him to 17 hours of sleep-deprived questioning. They falsely claimed to have found his father's body and threatened to euthanize the family dog if he didn’t confess. The barrage of psychological manipulation drove Perez Jr. to falsely admit that he had stabbed his father with scissors after an argument.
The culmination of this mental torture led Perez Jr. to attempt suicide by hanging himself with his clothes in the interrogation room. Thankfully, he was found and transported to a psychiatric hospital for a 72-hour observation period.
The truth finally surfaced when Perez Jr.'s sister informed the police that their father was neither dead nor missing but had simply visited friends and traveled to Northern California. This revelation dismantled the fabricated case against him.
In court, Perez Jr.'s lawyer, Jerry Steering, condemned the ‘deliberate cruelty’ exhibited by the police during the interrogation. The court recognized the psychological torment endured by Perez Jr., resulting in the $900,000 compensation.
Although the Fontana police have not commented on the matter, three officers involved remain employed, and one has retired. The police defended their actions by stating that Perez Jr.'s indifferent tone and the presence of bloodstains—later proven to be from a diabetic finger prick—misled them.
- The incident has sparked significant criticism of the interrogation practices used by the Fontana police. Critics argue that such methods amount to psychological torture and can lead to false confessions, ultimately obstructing justice rather than serving it.
- There is also a call for better training for law enforcement officers on handling missing person cases and understanding behaviors of stressed individuals more accurately. Such measures are crucial to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
- Thomas Perez Jr. hopes his case will bring awareness to the dangers of coercion in police interrogations and spur reforms in handling such sensitive cases. His legal team continues to advocate for changes in interrogation protocols, emphasizing the need for humane and just treatment in law enforcement.
