The trial of three former SAPD officers for the death of Melissa Perez during a mental health call continued Thursday.
SAN ANTONIO — The lead detective in the fatal shooting case of Melissa Perez acknowledged Thursday that he was incorrect about a key detail he previously testified to, capping a fourth straight day of tense questioning in the trial of three former San Antonio police officers.
Detective Ronald Soto – who wrote and executed the arrest warrants for the defendants within 16 hours of the June 2023 shooting – conceded he was mistaken when he previously told a defense attorney that Perez was in a hallway when then-SAPD Sgt. Alfred Flores fired the first shot. Slow-motion body camera video played in court Thursday showed Perez closer to the apartment’s patio area than Soto recalled.
“It could be… I was incorrect on her position, yes sir,” Soto responded when challenged by defense attorneys.
Defense teams argue that detail is critical to their justification claim—maintaining Flores had only a “split-second” to react as Perez moved quickly toward an open patio window with a hammer in her hand.
“You agree there was no more time for Sgt. Flores to wait on that decision, don’t you?” a defense attorney pressed.
“It’s tough,” Soto replied. “I see a barrier there, there’s a wall there, still.”
At the center of the trial is whether or not the defendants’ use of deadly force was warranted, which jurors must determine. Flores and Alejandro are charged with murder, while Villalobos is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with Perez’s death. The three are being tried together.
Positioning and threat level remain focal points
Earlier in the day, defense attorneys projected Flores’ body camera video in slow motion, pointing to Perez’s body posture and proximity to officers to argue Flores was vulnerable as the confrontation escalated.
“To me the position she is in looks like when Olympians throw a javelin,” one attorney said while reenacting the scene for the jury. Soto agreed it would be impossible in that moment to know exactly what Perez was going to do next.
Perez, 46, was shot twice after officers fired a total of 16 rounds. Prosecutors have maintained that the defendants had barriers — including a wall, a window partially blocked by a TV and a locked door — that prevented Perez from reaching them and negated any imminent threat.
Those elements were included in Soto’s original arrest affidavit, which states Perez “did not pose an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death” when deadly force was used.
Defense challenges investigation speed and scope
Soto, who spent his fourth day on the witness stand Thursday, has repeatedly faced accusations that his investigation was rushed and incomplete. He acknowledged earlier this week he did not take detailed notes from all 15 officers’ body-worn camera videos at the scene—only from five, including the defendants.
Defense attorneys also continue to highlight that he had not included Perez’s mental health history in the warrants, despite later learning of her struggles from the family.
Still, Soto has pushed back against arguments that he lacked probable cause, maintaining the body camera evidence he reviewed justified his decision.
State: warrant stands on its own
Prosecutors worked to reinforce that Soto’s mistake about Perez’s position during the first gunshot was not included in his written warrant, which instead said she ran toward officers “from the hall” — not that she was still in it.
The trial resumed Thursday morning for its 14th day of testimony and will continue into next week. It remains unclear whether Soto will testify again.
Flores and Eleazar Alejandro are charged with murder, while former officer Nathaniel Villalobos faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The case is believed to mark the first time Bexar County law enforcement officers have faced murder charges stemming from an on-duty shooting.
Background on the case
It was early in the morning of June 23, 2023, when authorities say Perez tampered with her complex’s fire alarm system, triggering a police response.
Later that morning, Flores, Alejandro and Villalobos fatally shot at Perez when authorities said she came at them with a hammer. Before 24 hours had passed, they were suspended from the force and jailed after Chief William McManus said their actions didn’t conform with protocols.
The issue of whether officers needed a warrant to enter Perez’s home continues to be a question in court. Prosecutors have argued the officers’ warrantless entry amounted to burglary of a habitation. Defense attorneys counter that Perez committed a felony earlier that morning when she threw a candle at an officer, allowing police to arrest her without a warrant.