The family of Mohd F. Hijaz, a 32-year-old man from Rancho Cucamonga, is suing the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department after he died following an encounter with deputies. The lawsuit claims excessive force and wrongful death, alleging that Hijaz was unarmed and in distress when deputies responded to a call on March 19, 2024.
According to the family’s complaint, deputies arrived after receiving reports of a person behaving erratically. They found Hijaz sitting on a curb, talking to a passerby who had offered him water. The deputies attempted to keep him at a distance, but when he approached them, they used tasers multiple times.
The situation escalated when two male deputies arrived to assist. The lawsuit states that during the attempt to detain Hijaz, he struck one of the deputies in the face. The family alleges that the deputies responded with excessive force, using baton strikes and slamming his head onto the pavement.
Hijaz suffered serious injuries and went into cardiac arrest. He was taken to San Antonio Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The family claims he was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time and was not engaging in any criminal behavior.
Hijaz’s mother, widow, and young child are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. They argue that there was no justification for the use of force against him. The family’s attorney, Sa’id Vakili, noted that they have not received the autopsy report or body camera footage from the incident, which has delayed their ability to fully understand what happened.
The city of Rancho Cucamonga has not commented on the lawsuit, while a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department stated they had no additional information beyond their initial news release. The family hopes to gain access to all relevant evidence through the legal discovery process to ensure accountability for Hijaz’s death.