Perris man pleads guilty for role in fight at Corona Centennial basketball game

The Perris man who faced a retrial on several charges related to his role in a melee during a high school girls’ basketball game in Corona ended the case on Friday, April 26, by pleading guilty to three of those charges.

Thaddis Lamont Brooks IV, 40, admitted to felony counts of assault with a gun and criminal threats and a misdemeanor battery count, court records show. Prosecutors on Friday agreed to dismiss the remaining counts against Brooks. He was immediately sentenced to two years and four months in prison, which was then doubled because he had a prior strike for a felony narcotics conviction.

His attorney, Arsany Said, said Monday that with credit for time already served, Brooks should be freed in about a year.

Here is the video from the ugly fight that took place at Corona Centennial in their girls basketball game against Corona Santiago. Video is from NFHS Network. Game was not resumed. @latsondheimer @CalHiSports @Inland_Sports @CallMeEPJ @derryl_golfer pic.twitter.com/cpPF72b7eJ

— James Escarcega 📈🏈🏀⚾️🥎 🤼🤽🏽‍♂️🏊🏼‍♀️🏌🏻⚽️ (@James_Escarcega) January 26, 2023

The charges were brought after a fight between two players at a basketball game between host Centennial High and Santiago High on Jan. 24, 2023 that was later joined by another player who Brooks knew. Brooks left the stands and entered the court. He could be seen in a recording exchanging shoves with someone before going out of view.

Brooks was accused of punching two players and then going to his car, retrieving a gun and threatening to shoot people in the parking lot.

Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Flores reminded jurors during closing arguments in Superior Court in Riverside that several witnesses testified that Brooks was waving a gun around the parking lot.

Said told jurors that Brooks was holding a cell phone and not a gun.

When asked about that argument Monday after Brooks’ plea, Said acknowledged that Brooks, by virtue of his plea, admitted to having a gun.

On March 20, jurors announced they had deadlocked on five counts: two counts of assault with a gun, one of the criminal threats counts, a charge of bringing a gun onto school grounds, and a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jurors acquitted Brooks of another of the criminal threats counts and one of the battery counts while convicting him of battery.