‘I’m going to shoot her;’ San Diego police release video of Tierrasanta home invasion, hostage situation

SAN DIEGO  — 

San Diego police on Wednesday unveiled dramatic online video that exhibits an intruder keeping a lady hostage at gunpoint in her Tierrasanta home early Saturday while officers in and all-around the property attempt to rescue her.

Authorities allege the suspect, Demetrius Trussell, 40, broke into four properties a day earlier and attempted to split into two houses Saturday just before he broke into the dwelling wherever he held the woman hostage, according to law enforcement and a legal grievance submitted Wednesday in San Diego Outstanding Court.

Trussell was billed with 18 felonies and a misdemeanor in link with the criminal offense spree. He did not appear in courtroom to enter a plea. A prosecutor stated he was in an state-of-the-art observation device at Central Jail, but it was unclear why. The device monitors inmates who might pose a risk to themselves or other people.

Deputy District Legal professional Meghan Buckner claimed Trussell was on parole at the time of the split-ins. In accordance to the complaint, Trussell was convicted of theft in North Carolina in 2009 and convicted of a “hot prowl” household theft in San Diego in 2018.

The hostage problem at the house on Viacha Travel prompted a San Diego law enforcement officer, who was perched on a neighboring rooftop, to shoot at the suspect right after the guy fired a round within the residence. No just one was strike.

Saturday’s criminal offense spree commenced about 12:30 a.m. when a man tried to split into a home on Rueda Push. About 30 minutes afterwards, when officers had been hunting for the prowler, a second break-in endeavor was claimed on La Cuenta Generate.

About 2:20 a.m., the crack-in was noted on Viacha Travel, when the 53-calendar year-previous target named 911.

According to audio of the simply call, launched Wednesday along with the overall body-worn camera video clip, the female noted that the intruder ran down the stairs and was masturbating in a toilet. She claimed she was uncertain how the guy entered the dwelling — she experienced been sleeping.

Law enforcement claimed two officers climbed in excess of a fence and went to the yard. Just one of them manufactured “verbal contact” with the woman’s father, police said.

“Sir, sir,” the officer says on his human body-worn digital camera.

Then a loud bang and screams are heard. Police claimed the intruder broke as a result of a door to a space where by the girl was hiding.

The movie displays the other officer using a baton to shatter a sliding glass patio door. The two officers walk into the dwelling space, and when they method the base of a stairwell, they see the intruder and the girl.

“Let me see your (expletive) hands! Permit me see your arms!” one of the officers shouts as he starts to stroll up the stairs, a flashlight in his still left arm pointed upstairs and his ideal hand on his handgun, in the holster.

Equally officers then stage their handguns up the staircase. The suspect seems to pull the female into what appears to be like a rest room, a handgun to her temple.

“Gun, gun!” the officers shout.

Law enforcement said officers near the stairwell experimented with to speak to the person as he held the female at gunpoint for about 10 minutes. Police allege the man also exposed himself to the girl and sexually battered her.

The total time the lady was even now on the mobile phone with law enforcement.

“This is a hostage circumstance,” a man says on an audio clip police unveiled. “We have a Mexican standoff.”

“Why is this a hostage circumstance?” an officer asks.

“‘Cause I really don’t have no way out, so I gotta choose a hostage with me,” the guy replies.

“No, no you really do not,” the officer suggests.

On a 2nd audio clip, the person tells the officers they’re “going to have to deliver a SWAT crew.”

“And then what?” an officer asks.

“I want you to back out … right before I shoot her,” the man replies. “I’m likely to shoot her in the kneecap.”

“No! No!” the female yells. “Please, God. Be sure to, God, no!”

Fewer than a minute later, the gentleman fired a round, police said.

On overall body-worn camera movie, the woman can be heard yelling, then indicating the gun went off unintentionally and that no one was damage.

As officers ongoing to discuss to the person, a single officer climbed a rear balcony and assisted the woman’s father onto the balcony, in accordance to the footage.

A further officer climbed onto a neighbor’s rooftop. From there, the officer experienced a look at of the hostage-taker. Immediately after the spherical was fired inside the house, the officer fired a number of occasions at the man, police said.

Online video from a neighboring home’s surveillance digicam displays the officer on the rooftop and muzzle flashes. Law enforcement did not release footage from that officer’s physique-worn camera.

Fired upon, the hostage-taker dropped to the flooring, tossed the gun and surrendered, police claimed.

Physique-worn digital camera video from officers at the base of the stairwell exhibits the lady run down the stairs to them. Times later, officers, guns in hand, stroll up the stairwell and handcuff the suspect as he lies on his stomach.

Law enforcement reported they found a handgun near wherever the man was arrested.