Yeiner Perez, the man who terrorized the 16th Street BART Station back in May and ultimately earned national internet fame when the video of came out, got out of jail yesterday. He'd been in custody in San Francisco since mid-June, and his lawyer filed a motion for his release so that he could seek mental health care in his county of residence, which is Alameda.
The 24-year-old Perez, whose full legal name is Yeiner Alberto Perez Garizabalo, was charged with two felony counts of false imprisonment and four misdemeanor counts of battery on public transportation, something defense attorney Paul Myslin said was "outrageous" given the fact that his client was having a mentally ill/delusional episode at the time. "People just don't understand how mental health works," he told the Chronicle. The issue, of course, is not that Perez was naked and acting crazy (he says that he thought he was "acting in a play") but that he assaulted several people in the process and is quite a tall, strong, and intimidating character. He had been at a nearby rehearsal for his clown/acrobat troupe when he ended up out in the street and down in the BART station, naked, doing flips and splits and stuff.
As SF Weekly reports, Perez was released on his own recognizance so he could get mental health services, and he already has an intake appointment somewhere in Alameda County. As a resident of Berkeley, he was not eligible for San Francisco's Behavioral Health Court, which is funded by the Public Health department and helps find defendants services, housing, and jobs in certain criminal cases.
It remains unclear what his diagnosis is, and whether or not a possible deportation is still on the table.
He has a stay-away order that prevents him from entering the 16th Street BART station, however he is allowed to use the BART system. He reportedly had a ride home from a friend yesterday, though.
