SAN DIEGO (KGTV)- The suspect in jail accused of breaking into a home in Tierrasanta early Saturday and holding a woman hostage at gunpoint was out on parole.
San Diego court records show Demetrius Trussell, 40, was sentenced to four years after pleading guilty to burglary and auto theft in 2018.
It's unclear when Trussell was released, but police radio traffic reveals the terror he's accused of causing during a crime spree that began after midnight Friday.
"Suspect is inside a house on a hot prowl and has one at gunpoint," can be heard on police radio traffic.
RELATED: Neighbors react to hostage situation in Tierrasanta neighborhood
Police say Trussell broke into a home on Viacha Drive just after 2 am. A woman and her elderly father were inside. They locked themselves in a room, but police say Trussell broke down the door and took the woman hostage at gunpoint.
Police say Trussell fired at least one round, but no one was hit.
A San Diego Police Officer positioned on a neighbor's roof fired multiple rounds at the suspect through a window, but no one was hit.
Eventually, Trussell laid down on the ground and threw his weapon.
Police say Trussell exposed himself and sexually battered the woman multiple times.
Police say Trussell tried to break into two other homes in the neighborhood.
The first victim didn't want to talk on camera but told 10News a man tried to break into her children's bedroom window while they slept in their home in the 4000 block of Rueda Drive. When the kids screamed for her, she yelled that she was getting a gun. She thinks that scared off the intruder.
Police say Trussell tried to get into another house nearby in the 5300 block of La Cuenta Drive, but the doors were locked. David McCoy lives across the street. He woke up to the police lights.
"It's a bit concerning but overall like I said, this is a safe neighborhood and things like this don't normally happen here ," said McCoy.
Investigators say Trussell was driving a white minivan that had previously been reported stolen in a carjacking.
Trussell is jailed on a long list of felonies scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. He has a lengthy criminal record that includes charges primarily in the states in the southeast.
