Seventeen Hours of Pressure, a False Confession and a Shocking Discovery
In August 2018, Thomas Perez Jr. reported his 71‑year‑old father, Thomas Perez Sr., missing after the elder Perez took the family dog, Margo, to check the mailbox and did not return. What began as a welfare check in Fontana, California, turned into an intense, 17‑hour police interrogation that left Perez Jr. exhausted, traumatized and ultimately apologizing in a statement officers treated as a confession — even though his father was alive the entire time.
How the Investigation Escalated
Community service officers who visited the home reported items in disarray and some of Perez Sr.'s belongings grouped together, prompting the Fontana Police Department to follow up. About 24 hours after the missing‑person report, investigators obtained a search warrant, photographed the house and recovered the elder Perez's wallet and cellphone. Media reports say officers believed they found possible bloodstains and a cadaver dog allegedly alerted to the scent of human remains in a bedroom. At that point, investigators began treating Perez Jr. as a suspect rather than only a worried son.
Interrogation Tactics and Perez Jr.'s Breakdown
Detectives, including Robert Miller, began questioning Perez Jr. the night of Aug. 8 and continued into the early morning of Aug. 9. He was sleep‑deprived for roughly 36 hours. Detectives David Janusz and Kyle Guthrie later took over, driving Perez Jr. to multiple locations — including a donation bin and construction sites — while continuing to press him.
According to court filings and video reviewed by U.S. District Court Judge Dolly Gee, officers repeatedly lied during questioning: they told Perez Jr. his father had died and suggested the family dog might be euthanized if Perez Jr. did not confess. Police also reportedly sought to have Perez Jr.'s friend Carl Peraza press him for an admission. Under sustained pressure, Perez Jr. experienced severe disorientation, tore at his hair, removed his shirt and broke down emotionally. After about 17 hours, he apologized to his father and sister; detectives treated those apologies and other mixed statements as a confession.
"I just wanted it to stop," Perez Jr. later said. A judge noted he was "sleep deprived, mentally ill and significantly undergoing symptoms of withdrawal from his psychiatric medications."
Discovery That Changed Everything
In the evening of Aug. 9 investigators learned that Perez Sr. was alive. Earlier that day, Perez Sr.'s daughter had alerted police that he was waiting for a flight at Los Angeles International Airport. Police brought Perez Sr. to the station and questioned him; he said he had visited family, left his phone at home and was unharmed. Perez Jr., meanwhile, had been placed on a psychiatric hold and taken to a hospital unit for evaluation. According to Perez Jr., he was not allowed phone contact with family for three days and only learned his father was alive after days in custody and treatment.
Aftermath: Lawsuit and Settlement
About a year after the incident, Perez Jr. filed a federal lawsuit alleging coercion and psychological torture that produced a false confession. The City of Fontana denied violating any law but agreed to a settlement in 2024 for $898,000. U.S. District Court Judge Dolly Gee wrote that a reasonable juror could conclude detectives inflicted "unconstitutional psychological torture" given Perez Jr.'s condition and the tactics used. Officer Kyle Guthrie, named in the suit, defended the interrogation as a "ruse" and disputed that it caused Perez Jr.'s distress.
Impact and Broader Questions
The case drew national attention — including a Dec. 5 Dateline episode titled "The Ruse" — and raised questions about police interrogation practices, the risks of eliciting statements from sleep‑deprived and mentally ill subjects, and the human cost of wrongful confessions. Both father and son have spoken publicly about the trauma: Perez Jr. described lingering fear and social withdrawal, while Perez Sr. said he supported his son as he recovered from the ordeal.
