Guilty plea from man shot by police in movie theater

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A man who was shot by police inside a Carmel Mountain
movie theater after he confronted his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint at a nearby
restaurant where she worked pleaded guilty Thursday to four charges, including
assault with a firearm on a police officer and making criminal threats.

Tom Billodeaux, 22, of Escondido faces more than 24 years in prison when
he is sentenced April 8.

At 2:22 p.m. on Jan. 12, Billodeaux confronted his ex-girlfriend in the
parking lot of a shopping center in the 11100 block of Carmel Mountain Road,
San Diego police Lt. Ernie Herbert said.

Officers arrived to find that Billodeaux had fled the scene. Witnesses
reported the man was armed with a handgun and had run across Rancho Carmel
Drive to another shopping center, Herbert said.

The defendant's ex-girlfriend was able to get away with the help of co-
workers and others who witnessed the confrontation, police said.

Officers tracked Billodeaux to the Reading Cinemas Carmel Mountain 12
movie theater and later found the suspect sitting alone in a theater where a
movie was playing.

Billodeaux initially complied with verbal commands to determine if he
was armed, but the suspect then lowered his hands into his lap, raised a
handgun and turned it toward an officer, police said.

Officer Addam Ansari opened fire, striking the defendant in the chest
and arm. A second officer was present but did not fire his weapon, police said.

No one else was injured.