The city of Fontana, California, has agreed to pay $900,000 to this man Thomas Perez Jr., who was subjected to what his attorney described as “psychological torture” by police detectives. In 2018, Perez reported his 71-year-old father missing after a family argument, only to be accused of murdering him. Police coerced a confession from Perez during a grueling 17-hour interrogation, despite his father being alive and well — staying at his girlfriend’s house.
A Misguided Investigation
In August 2018, Thomas Perez contacted Fontana police when his father failed to return home after leaving with the family dog. Instead of investigating the disappearance, detectives turned their attention to Perez. Over the course of the interrogation, they insisted his father had been killed and that Perez was responsible.
“They could get you and I to confess to killing Abe Lincoln if they wanted to,” said Jerry Steering, Perez’s attorney, who called the case “the worst act of deliberate cruelty” he had witnessed in his 40 years of suing police departments.
The interrogation footage, which has drawn widespread condemnation, shows detectives berating Perez:
- “We just told you that we found your dead dad’s body, and you don’t give a shit,” one officer accused.
- “You murdered your dad… Daddy is dead and it’s your fault,” another officer claimed.
Despite Perez’s denials, the relentless pressure led him to break down. Surveillance footage captured him crying, pulling at his hair, scratching his face, and tearing his shirt. At one point, Perez attempted suicide in the interrogation room using the drawstring from his pants, according to the federal lawsuit.
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Manufactured Evidence and Lies
Detectives manipulated Perez’s anxiety about his father and their dog, Margo, to extract a confession. The dog, which returned home without his father, was presented as a witness to the crime. Police also alleged that the dog had tracked blood at the scene.
Perez, who had been denied his prescribed depression medication and had not slept for hours, eventually confessed to stabbing his father during an argument.
The Truth Emerges
In reality, Perez’s father was alive and well. He had spent the night at his girlfriend’s house near Union Station, leaving his phone and wallet behind. Early the next morning, he flew to northern California to visit his daughter.
Police discovered these facts during their investigation but withheld the information from Perez, who remained under psychiatric surveillance.
Legal Battle and Accountability
Perez filed a lawsuit against the city of Fontana, naming five detectives — David Janusz, Jeremy Hale, Ronald Koval, Robert Miller, and Joanna Piña — for their roles in the ordeal. The suit accused them of denying Perez his medication, depriving him of sleep, and engaging in unconstitutional psychological torture.
A federal district judge sided with Perez, finding sufficient evidence for a jury to conclude that the detectives inflicted illegal psychological torture. The settlement of $900,000 reflects the city’s acknowledgment of the harm caused, but Fontana officials have not disclosed whether the officers involved remain on the force.
A Sobering Reminder
Thomas Perez’s case has become a symbol of police misconduct and excessive interrogation tactics in the United States. The ordeal highlights the devastating consequences of wrongful accusations and coerced confessions — especially in cases where no crime occurred.