Police Shoot At Burglary Suspect Who Takes Hostages In SD Home

SAN DIEGO, CA — A burglary suspect who allegedly took a homeowner and her father hostage in a Tierrasanta neighborhood Saturday while sexually assaulting the woman was shot at by police but not hit, then gave up and was taken into custody, officials said.

Demetrius Trussell, 40, was booked into jail on charges including suspicion of hot prowl burglary, kidnapping, false imprisonment with a hostage, negligent discharge of a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, indecent exposure, assault with the intent to commit a sex crime, sexual battery, multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and a parole hold, according to Lt. Jud Campbell of the San Diego Police Department.

At 12:30 a.m. Sunday, the San Diego Police Communications Center received a report that someone tried to force entry into a residence in Tierrasanta in the 4000 block of Rueda Drive, the lieutenant said. The suspect was believed to have fled in a white minivan.

About 30 minutes later, while officers were still checking the area for the suspect, they received a report that a man tried to force entry into another residence in Tierrasanta in the 5300 block of La Cuenta Drive. Officers responded and again began checking the area for the suspect.

At 2:18 a.m., police received a call that a man had broken into a residence in the 10900 block of Viacha Drive. The homeowner, a 53-year-old woman, had barricaded herself in a room with her father.

Preliminary information indicated the suspect broke into the room where the homeowner was barricaded, produced a firearm and threatened the homeowner, Campbell said.

As officers arrived, they could see a white minivan in the driveway. It had previously been reported stolen in a carjacking. The van matched the description from the first radio call.

"Hearing screams from inside the residence, officers forced entry and confronted the suspect," Campbell said. "Ignoring officers' commands to surrender, the suspect took the victim hostage at gunpoint and forced her into another bedroom ... The suspect exposed himself and sexually battered the homeowner multiple times."

Officers took the homeowner's father onto a balcony, the lieutenant said.

"An officer climbed onto the balcony to protect him." Campbell said. "While officers were attempting to negotiate a safe resolution of the hostage situation, the suspect fired at least one round inside of the room. No one appears to have been hit by that round."

Shortly after that, an officer, who had climbed onto a nearby rooftop, used a rifle to fire multiple rounds at the suspect through a window, Campbell said. The suspect was not struck by the rounds but dropped to the floor, threw the gun away, and was taken into custody.

The homeowner and her father were safely rescued.

The officer who fired the rounds has been employed by the SDPD for about eight years, police said. His current assignment was Eastern Division patrol.

Investigators from the San Diego Police Homicide Unit were called to the scene and were collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. Detectives were still working to establish that the suspect was the same in all three reported incidents.

When the Homicide Unit completes its investigation, the findings will be reviewed by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office to determine whether the officer bears any criminal liability. The Internal Affairs Unit will conduct an investigation to determine if there were any policy violations, and the Shooting Review Board will evaluate the tactics used by the officers.

The Commission on Police Practices will conduct a review of the incident and provide any appropriate recommendations. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office will also be monitoring the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding any of the three incidents was asked to call the Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

—City News Service