Man who punched sheriff after attempted break-in sentenced

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A man who was out of custody on a domestic violence charge when he tried to break into his wife’s Imperial Beach apartment, then punched a sheriff’s deputy who responded to the call, was sentenced Friday to nearly 21 years in state prison.

Richard Alan Perez, 33, was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, resisting arrest, vandalism and violating a restraining order. Perez pleaded guilty after the trial to misdemeanor domestic violence for choking his wife three or four months prior to the June 21, 2013, attempted break-in at her apartment.

The chain of events leading up to Perez’s arrest began about 7 a.m. when neighbors reported a family disturbance in the 1400 block of 14th Street. Perez tried to get into his wife’s apartment, in violation of a restraining order, then punched a sheriff’s deputy in the face before running off.

The defendant then forced his way into a nearby apartment on Holly Avenue and barricaded himself inside, throwing furniture, shards of glass and other items out of a second-floor window toward deputies. He surrendered a few hours later.