Penn Held in Assault at Home of Ex-Girlfriend

Sagon Penn, twice acquitted for shooting two San Diego policemen and a civilian ride-along in a racially charged case that sharply divided the community, was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of attempted murder.

Penn was taken into custody without incident by two police officers responding to a domestic-disturbance call. Penn, 27, allegedly tried to strangle the boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend.

Penn was being held Wednesday night in the downtown County Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, burglary and misdemeanor vandalism.

String of Incidents

The incident was the most recent in a string of disturbance complaints involving Penn and his ex-girlfriend, Donna Parks, the mother of his child.

Parks has frequently been the subject of Penn’s conversations in media interviews, in which Penn expressed his intense love for the 25-year-old woman, detailing how she helped him through the ordeal of the two highly publicized trials and his attempts to return his life to normal.

“I can’t tell you the exact number (of police calls), but there’s been close to half a dozen incidents involving Sagon Penn recently, but none of them have resulted in charges,” said police spokesman Dave Cohen.

According to police, Wednesday’s altercation began about 5:30 a.m. when Roger Worshin, 28, of Los Angeles, was leaving Parks’ apartment, in the 4500 block of Idaho Street, where he reportedly was confronted by Penn.

“Penn forced Worshin back into the apartment and, during a fight, began strangling Worshin with both hands,” said Bill Robinson, another police spokesman. “Worshin showed signs of injury, strangulation marks on his throat, and bruises and scrapes on his face and head.”

Robinson said Parks’ brother, Wayne Parks, who also lives in the apartment, heard the commotion and attempted to pull Penn off Worshin. “Eventually he succeeded, and he and Worshin were able to force Penn out of the apartment,” Robinson said.

Neighbors Call Police

Hearing the fight, neighbors called police, and when Officers Linda Garcia and Darryl Emerson arrived, Penn had allegedly damaged Worshin’s motorcycle, which was parked outside, police said.

“We’re submitting the reports to the district attorney by Friday morning, and they will determine what charges will be filed against Penn,” Robinson said.

Steve Casey, a spokesman in the San Diego County district attorney’s office, said Penn is expected to appear in court Friday. A lieutenant at the jail said Penn, who gave police an address in the 800 block of North 40th Street, was being held without bail.

Penn twice stood trial--and both times was acquitted--in the March, 1985, slaying of Police Agent Thomas Riggs, and the wounding of Agent Donovan Jacobs and civilian ride-along Sarah Pina-Ruiz.

Penn admitted shooting the officers but said he was forced to fire in self-defense.

Police spokesman Robinson, describing Wednesday morning’s arrest, said: “He didn’t struggle; he didn’t resist the officers. And he was treated like any other person. He was handcuffed and taken to the Western Station, and from there he was taken to jail.”

About two weeks ago, police were summoned to the Parks apartment on another disturbance call involving Penn, police said.

“He went to this same apartment and apparently did some damage there,” Cohen said. “He kicked in the door and some other damage, but Donna Parks did not file a complaint.”

Officers were also sent to the apartment in May, 1988, after Penn allegedly struck Parks in the head and face during a heated argument. In that incident, a police officer drew his baton and squared off with Penn, who reportedly became agitated and tried to keep police from talking to Parks. Again, no charges were brought.

Two months ago, Penn was allegedly involved in a fight at a National City grocery. Police said he hit a teen-ager on the head with a stick outside the market, but the district attorney declined to file charges because of “evidentiary problems” resulting from inconsistencies in witness statements.

Penn also was detained briefly after reportedly hanging out of a car window and yelling obscenities.

‘Needs Counseling’

Billie Nelson, a longtime family friend who helped raise Penn, said his behavior has been erratic since the police shootings, the trials and his eventual breakup with Parks.

“He needs counseling,” she said. “He needs something. You can tell that by the way he wrings his hands. The boy needs help.

“His love is for her (Parks), and it’s like a lot of other men and women. They can’t seem to turn loose of one another.”

But Nelson was stunned that Penn was being held on suspicion of attempted murder. She said he is not a violent person, despite his lengthy training in the martial arts.

“Even when he was fighting tournament-style, you’d see guys getting in the ring and trying to kill one another, and he was never like that,” she said. “Frankly, he lost a lot of matches just by being kind.”

Also disturbing to Penn, she said, is the fact that his father, Thomas Penn, is facing cocaine distribution charges in federal court.

The younger Penn’s grandfather, Yusuf Abdullah, said Sagon called him from jail after being arrested Wednesday morning.

“He didn’t say anything about it (the alleged assault),” Abdullah said. “He just told me that he loved everybody.”

Abdullah said Sagon stayed with him Tuesday night and told him Wednesday morning that he wanted to go to Parks’ apartment instead of to work.

“He seems to be in real love with her,” the grandfather said. “He wanted to see her, or something. But I told him to stay away. He was going to go to work laying carpets downtown, and that was where he was supposed to go this morning.”