The long delayed preliminary hearing started Monday in the 2016 death of a San Diego Police officer who lived in Chula Vista and for whom the Eastlake post office is named.
Officer Jonathan “J.D.” De Guzman, 43, was shot to death on July 28, 2016. His partner Wade Irwin, who was also shot, testified Monday as the first witness against Jesse Michael Gomez, 58.
The hearing before San Diego Superior Court Judge Fred Link is expected to last a week. Link will determine if Gomez should stand trial for murder, attempted murder of Irwin, the special circumstance of killing an officer during the performance of his duties, and felon in possession of a firearm.
Irwin testified De Guzman was driving down Acacia Grove Way in Southeast San Diego around 11 p.m. when he spotted two men walking. The pair split up, and Irwin said he thought he recognized Gomez as someone he had arrested before.
“He was looking back at our vehicle,” said Irwin, who added he got out of the car and asked Gomez if he lived in the area.
“Almost immediately, he pulled out a gun and shot me,” said Irwin, who identified Gomez as the gunman.
Irwin said he was shot in the throat and he immediately began applying pressure to stop the bleeding. He said Gomez said nothing before shooting at him and the police car.
“I needed to stop the threat. I began to shoot at him,” said Gomez. “I was thinking, he’s going to execute me if he sees I’m still alive.”
“It was hard to breathe. I got on the radio,” said Irwin, who said he reported an officer down. “It was extremely hard to talk because there was blood in my throat.”
Irwin also said he learned that he mistakenly thought Gomez was a gang member nicknamed “Fuzzy” that he had arrested before.
Irwin said he was rushed to a hospital where he spent 23 days. Irwin suffered a collapsed lung, intense pain, nerve damage, numbness to parts of his body, and was off work for eight months. He is now a detective.
Officer Kelly Stewart testified he pulled De Guzman out of the police car and saw he was “unresponsive.” He took off his police vest and shirt and discovered a bullet wound that entered his arm pit.
“I repeatedly called out to him to get a response,” said Stewart. “We needed to get Officer
De Guzman immediate medical assistance.”
De Guzman, a 16-year veteran, was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. He is survived by a widow and two children. Mourners filled a funeral mass for him in Bonita a week later.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Runyon is seeking the death penalty if Gomez is convicted. Gomez has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail.
