San Diego

DA Releases Video Evidence in Deputy-Involved Shooting at Del Taco in East County

Newly released video shows the threatening gesture an armed man allegedly made towards a family in a Del Taco in Lemon Grove before deputies responded and shot him to death.

The District Attorney's Office says Adolfo Angel Gonzalez, 28, walked into the restaurant on 7060 Broadway on Jan. 5 and pointed a handgun at a family dining in the kids play area.

The DA's Office released portions of surveillance footage from that night. Gonzalez can be seen walking into the restaurant in a dark hooded sweatshirt with his hood on. He stops outside of the play area, pulls out a gun, and allegedly points it at a family on the other side of the glass.

Gonzalez walks away without firing and ordered food. The DA's Office says surveillance cameras caught him pulling out his gun a second time as he was waiting for his order.

Shortly after retrieving his food, San Diego County Sheriff's Department deputies arrived at the restaurant and confronted Gonzalez. Deputies ordered Gonzalez to put his hands in the air and he instead pulled out his gun and aimed it at them.

Responding deputies shot Gonzalez and he died later at the hospital. The deputies involved were later identified as Carlos Cenizo, Sean Daly, and Casey Dow. They were all stationed at the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation.

The District Attorney's Office determined that the deputies fired at Gonzalez in their own defense and the defense of others, and they face no criminal liability.

Before the shooting occurred, Gonzalez's family was concerned for his safety because he suffered from mental illness. On the day of the shooting, he told a family member that he wanted to get into a shootout with police, the DA's Office said.

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