Naman Shrestha
In August 2018, the Fontana Police Department received a call from Thomas Perez Jr., who claimed that his father, Thomas Perez Sr., had been missing since the previous night. Little did Tom Perez Jr. know that the following hours would turn out to be some of the most traumatic hours of his life. The entire case of the mysterious disappearance of Papa Tom and the intense interrogation of Tom that followed is covered in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘The Ruse’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline.’
When Papa Tom Perez Didn’t Return Home, Tom Perez Jr. Reported Him Missing
In 2018, Thomas “Tom” Perez Sr. and his contractor son, Thomas “Tom” Perez Jr., resided in Fontana, California, in a three-bedroom house, which they were planning to sell. During the summer, they were busy packing up their possessions and preparing to move after completing some remodeling of the property. The separation from his wife led Tom to share the roof with his separated father, Papa Tom. Although their relationship wasn’t all butterflies and rainbows, they had a shared love for their furry friend, Margo. Having different preferences and lifestyles, they led separate lives without meddling much in each other’s personal affairs.
On the night of August 7, 2018, 71-year-old Papa Tom allegedly went outside the house to walk with Margo and check the mail. Although only the dog returned home a few minutes later, Tom wasn’t concerned, as his father had many connections in the neighborhood and would often pay them visits without letting him know. However, when his father didn’t return by the next afternoon, Tom informed the police about the situation and filed a missing persons report. After visiting the Perez household and questioning him, the authorities asked him to go to the police station to answer more questions for them to figure out where the missing elderly man could be.
Besides interviewing him at the station, the detectives also obtained a search warrant for the house and the two men’s phones. In the beginning, they reportedly asked questions in a friendly manner, but after it had been more than 24 hours into the disappearance of Papa Tom, the tone of the interview changed drastically. They also collected a DNA swab from him as they began suspecting him of being involved in his father’s disappearance. At some point, they also drove around the city with Tom, claiming that they were looking for his missing father, while continuing to question him. Sleepless and exhausted, Tom’s mental health reportedly began deteriorating.
The Authorities Used Extreme Measures to Make Tom Perez Jr. Confess to a Lie
When Tom asked to be taken to a hospital, the detectives refused his request, stating, “We’re not going to go to the hospital, because that’s not going to help you.” In the interrogation room, the investigators insisted that he had killed Papa Tom, despite his maintaining innocence. He became more vulnerable when his dog was brought into the room, as the officers also threatened to euthanize Margo because of the trauma attached to witnessing the owner’s alleged murder. After about sixteen hours of interrogation, the authorities lied to Tom about finding his father’s remains with multiple stab wounds.
By that time, he was in critical mental and physical distress. He began pulling out his hair, ripping off his shirt, and lying down on the floor with his dog. Consequently, he confessed to killing Papa Tom. Not long after, the investigators learned that the missing man was found alive at the airport, where he was waiting to board a flight to visit his sister. Meanwhile, alone in the interrogation room, Tom tried to take his own life, but the detectives intervened and rushed him to a psychiatric hospital. He was told that his father was alive three days later, after which he was discharged from the hospital and reunited with his dog.
Papa Tom Perez and Tom Perez Jr. Continue to Lead a Private Life in Fontana, California, Under the Same Roof
A few years later, in 2023, Tom Perez Jr. filed a civil lawsuit against the Fontana Police Department (FPD), accusing them of false imprisonment and due process violations for the psychological torture he endured in August 2018. The federal court denied immunity to the police officers responsible for the torture and released a decision in June, stating, “There is no legitimate government interest that would justify treating Perez in this manner while he was in medical distress, since the FPD already had two warrants to search his person and property, and he was already essentially in custody and unable to flee or tamper with any evidence.”
By May 2024, the city of Fontana agreed to pay Tom $900,000 and settle his lawsuit against the FPD. However, the city didn’t admit to any wrongdoing and denied that any federal laws were broken during the interrogation. On the personal front, both Papa Tom and Tom suffered a huge loss in February 2023 as their dog, Margo, passed away. In the years following the traumatic interrogation, Tom relied on the support of his father. In an interview with CNN, Tom said, “I got to a point where I was afraid to even go get the mail anymore…I was afraid to come out. I said I don’t know who might be there.”
In the beginning, Tom reportedly faced difficulty in working and answering his phone, but his father helped him get over the trauma. Tom explained, “Luckily my father was there to make sure that all the necessities were met. And then I started to work my way out of the hole, knowing that it’s upon me to get myself out — along with some help, of course.” Papa Tom added, “I helped him … at that time to get through that. We help each other.” The father and son duo continue to live in the same house in Fontana, California, while caring for and supporting each other through thick and thin.
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