Homeless Suspect Shot by Chula Vista Police Dies in Hospital

CHULA VISTA — A homeless man has died after being shot during a confrontation with officers at an apartment building in Chula Vista, where he allegedly held a knife to the throat of another homeless man, police said today.

Officers were dispatched at about 7:45 p.m. Saturday to the 600 block of Moss Street regarding multiple calls of two people possibly setting up camp in an apartment stairwell "banging on doors, yelling, and possibly using drugs or dealing with mental illness," said Lt. Adam Sharki of the San Diego Police Department.

"When officers responded, they located one of the subjects in an apartment stairwell," Sharki said. "As they contacted him, he moved a blanket from in front of him and revealed that he was holding another male hostage with a knife to his throat."

Additional officers and resources were requested, which included a member of the department's Crisis Negotiation Team who began negotiating with Perri Sammarco, who continued yelling at officers, threatening to kill the hostage and refusing to cooperate, Sharki said.

A K-9 officer, who was also a member of the department's SWAT team, arrived at the location as Sammarco continued to press the knife to the victim's throat and not respond to the negotiations.

"The K-9 officer and a team of other officers climbed through a balcony to an apartment positioned to the side of the suspect," Sharki said. "The K-9 officer unlocked and cracked the apartment door open. At that point, the officer fired his department-issued rifle at the suspect, striking him in the head."

The hostage, a 34-year-old homeless man who had been living in Chula Vista, was identified Thursday as Justin Holley. Holley did not know Sammarco before Saturday when he threatened him and forced him to come to the apartment complex, Sharki said. Holley was able to get away and was taken to a hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries to his neck.

Sammarco died Monday.

The officer who shot Sammarco was identified Thursday as Alfonso Perdomo, a dog handler who has been employed by the Chula Vista Police Department for approximately five years.

No officers were injured during the incident.

Per the Countywide Memorandum of Understanding, the San Diego Police Department's Homicide Unit was called to the scene to conduct the shooting investigation.

San Diego police urged anyone with information regarding the incident to call them at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.