SAN DIEGO, (KGTV) — The suspect accused in a violent crime spree that started in Oceanside last Monday and ended in El Cajon the following day had his arraignment postponed for a third time today.
The San Diego District Attorney's office says Jams Alvernaz is awaiting a medical evaluation. He was supposed to be arraigned in Vista last week and then yesterday, but he would not come out of his cell.
Cellphone video captures the dramatic arrest of Alvernaz last Tuesday morning.
El Cajon police had to use a taser to get him under control. It happened outside a Kia Dealership in El Cajon. Employees say he caught their attention right away.
"He looked very suspicious. He had a white shirt, some blood on the side of his shirt. He was trying to start his vehicle," said Bashar Qustanten, the manager of the Kia Dealership.
Police say the car he was trying to start was stolen earlier that day. The jail log shows the charges against Alvernaz. He's facing multiple counts ranging from carjacking to sexual assault.
Police say surveillance video captured Alvernaz using his head to smash the front window of a home in Logan Heights.
The house is an Airbnb. Screaming could be heard from the inside. A family visiting from Germany was inside with their two young daughters.
When the intruder heard the screams, he left. Alvernaz was supposed to face a judge on a long list of felonies Tuesday afternoon, but that didn't happen. The DA's office will only say, "Once again,the defendant was not produced."
Kevin LaChapelle is a retired police officer and criminal justice professor at National University.
He says there's much to consider when dealing with an uncooperative suspect
"If they're behaving that way in the cell, you would only have to assume that they're going to behave that way in the courtroom, and in the courtroom, you have to be careful because what kind of damage could they do and you also don't want the judge, their safety to be at risk," said LaChapelle.
When asked how deputies deal with non-compliant defendants, the Sheriff's Department sent ABC 10 the following statement:
"If an incarcerated person refuses to attend a court hearing, the detention facility will notify the court. The Judicial Officer may issue an Order to Produce, at which time the person may be removed from their cell using reasonable force in order to comply with the judicial order. The San Diego County Sheriff's Office makes every effort to de-escalate these situations and avoid any use of force instances.
With regards to medical, if the health care provider deems the individual to be at risk of serious health consequences or would put other people at risk by being produced, they will be withheld from attending court proceedings and the court will be notified."
