Shivangi Sinha
Tom Perez’s ordeal, as detailed in NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Ruse,’ began when he wrongly came under suspicion after reporting his father missing in August 2018. What started as a welfare concern quickly escalated into hours of intense questioning, during which officers alleged he had killed his father, who was actually alive. The fallout led Perez to file a civil lawsuit naming multiple Fontana Police Department officers, accusing them of false imprisonment, excessive force, and due process violations. Although the city settled the case, the Fontana PD denied wrongdoing and maintained that they acted on the information they had at the time.
Robert Miller Seems to be Still Working For the Fontana PD
Detective Robert Miller, the lead investigator in Tom Perez’s 2018 case, authored the official report following Perez’s 17-hour interrogation. When Perez filed his civil lawsuit in August 2019, Miller was listed as one of the defendants. He has not publicly addressed the allegations, but has aligned with the department’s position that their actions were justified, following the settlement of the case out of court in April 2024. Miller, who joined the Fontana Police Department in 2008, is believed to be still serving there, with no public record of disciplinary action, promotions, or further comment.
David Janusz is Ranked as a Sergeant Today
Detective David Janusz assumed the interrogation after Detective Miller had questioned Tom Perez for several hours. Alongside Officer Kyle Guthrie, he took Perez for breakfast and urged him to identify where he had supposedly hidden his father’s remains. Janusz was also named as a defendant in the 2019 civil lawsuit. He has continued serving with the Fontana Police Department and, by March 2022, had graduated from the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute and been promoted to sergeant. Janusz has maintained that the officers acted appropriately in Perez’s case.
Kyle Guthrie is Enjoying His Promotion Within the Fontana PD
Kyle Guthrie was the detective involved in questioning Tom Perez alongside David Janusz. After the incident, Guthrie continued to advance within the Fontana Police Department. In 2019, he was named Employee of the Year for his work with the Rapid Response Team, where he helped seize firearms and narcotics. He later supervised a major 2022 initiative aimed at addressing violent crime within the same unit. Though not a defendant in Perez’s civil suit, he was deposed in February 2023 and stated that Perez had shown little concern for his father, which influenced their assumptions. Guthrie maintained that their actions were lawful. By 2024, he was completing the Sherman Block Leadership Institute (Class 522) and now serves as a sergeant with the Fontana Police Department.
Michael Dorsey is the Fontana Chief of Police
During Tom Perez’s 17-hour interrogation in 2018, then-Lieutenant Michael Dorsey was the supervisor who, according to court filings, had told Detectives David Janusz and Kyle Guthrie that Perez appeared suspicious before they questioned him. However, Dorsey himself was not named as a defendant in the 2019 civil lawsuit filed by Perez. Professionally, Dorsey had already built a long, varied career by that point. A Redlands High School graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from California Coast University, he began in law enforcement as a Redlands Police Explorer before becoming a full-time officer in 1993.
Over the years, he worked in various units, including patrol, gangs, SWAT, narcotics, internal affairs, traffic, and code enforcement, eventually assuming command roles after joining the Fontana Police Department in 1997. Since the Perez incident, Dorsey’s career has continued to progress steadily. In March 2023, he was selected as the 11th Chief of Police for the City of Fontana, a role he holds today. IN 2024, he was featured on the ‘Fontana Unlocked.’ He got his Executive POST Certification in 2025 and has been speaking about community concerns regarding officers being suspected of being ICE agents.
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Jeremy Hale and Ronald Koval Are Still in Service
Jeremy Hale and Ronald Koval were among the Fontana Police Department officers named as defendants in Tom Perez’s 2019 civil lawsuit, which centered on the 17-hour interrogation he underwent in August 2018. Both officers were identified as participants in the prolonged questioning that led Perez to believe he had killed his father. In the years since, Hale and Koval have maintained that their actions were lawful and appropriate, given the information available to them at the time. Public information about their personal careers is limited, but records indicate that both continue to serve with the Fontana Police Department.
