Menifee man shot, killed by sheriff's deputies in Victorville after standoff involving SWAT team
Albert Perez's sister says sheriff's department has been 'vague' about details surrounding the death of the 32-year-old father, who was reportedly armed with a handgun during incident
Martin Estacio
Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man in Victorville over the weekend after an hours-long standoff with a SWAT team, authorities said.
The man, identified as 32-year-old Albert Perez, was a resident of Menifee, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
Details concerning the shooting were sparse Thursday despite a request for additional information.
At about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Victorville deputies responded to a home in the 16500 block of Zenda Road, a line of residences located near the Victorville City Library.
A resident at the home who knew Perez had called 911, sheriff’s spokesperson Mara Rodriguez said.
Deputies were told Perez was in the garage "armed with a handgun and causing a disturbance," authorities said. He was reportedly asked to leave the property but refused.
"Perez did not comply with deputy’s commands to put down the firearm and surrender," the sheriff’s department said.
A SWAT team responded and began negotiating with Perez.
"After several hours of crisis negotiations, a deputy involved shooting occurred," the department said. "Perez was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased."
Rodriguez did not say what exactly led up to the shooting or how many deputies opened fire.
"The investigation is on-going no information on this is available at this time," she said in an email.
The sheriff’s department also did not disclose how many hours of negotiations went by before Perez was shot.
'The girls were everything to him'
Perez's sister, Marcy Ruiz, said sheriff's officials had "been vague" with her family on circumstances surrounding the shooting.
"We really do not know any details," she said Thursday.
Ruiz said her brother — known as AJ to his family — had two daughters. Perez was "very family oriented," she said, and loved to "drive his girls around on adventures."
“The girls were everything to him," Ruiz wrote in a Facebook message in which she noted that Perez also loved to grill. "He was always the go to cooking man for family parties. He was on the quieter side, but also funny."
She set up a GoFundMe for Perez's funeral expenses.
"Any residual funds will go straight to his girls," Ruiz said in the fundraiser's description.
Anyone with information, or anyone who may have witnessed the incident, is asked by the sheriff's department to contact Detective Brian Sprague, Specialized Investigations Division at 909-387-3500.
Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463) or leave information at www.wetip.com.
Daily Press reporter Martin Estacio may be reached at 760-955-5358 or MEstacio@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.