A California father faces up to life in prison after being found guilty of killing five of his own children and hiding the body of a one-month-old baby in a refrigerator.
Paul Allen PerezThe 63-year-old, who is already behind bars for unrelated past crimes, was convicted of four counts of murder and one count of assault resulting in death of a child under the age of 8 on Tuesday, January 6.
“These kids are dead, and they’re dead because Paul Perez killed them. Once is an accident, five times is intentional, ladies and gentlemen,” Assistant District Attorney. David Robbins he told the court during the trial. “There was no remorse, there was no remorse, there was no recognition that they were his children. That’s the mentality of a murderer.”
The five murders are believed to have occurred over a roughly 10-year period, between 1992 and 2001, at various locations in northern and central California. Perez was finally linked to the gruesome crimes after the body of a child was found in 2007. The dead child was dressed only in a diaper and covered with a blanket. Despite the discovery of the body, it wasn’t until 2019 that the baby was finally identified as a Nikko Lee Perezwho was born in 1996. The dead baby was eventually confirmed to be Perez’s son through DNA testing.
All the dead children, some of whom shared the same name, were born to a named woman Yolanda Perez.
A Colorado man was arrested this week after being accused of killing a woman with whom he shared children and putting her body in a trash can. Colorado’s 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Thomas Perale has been charged with first degree murder, violation of an order of protection/domestic violence, abuse of a corpse and tampering with (…)
Paul was arrested on January 27, 2020 in connection with the 2007 cold case.
“While I am proud of the efforts of my investigators and the coroner’s office, this is not a day any of us will be happy about,” the sheriff said. Tom Lopez said in a statement at the time, reported by WGXA. “In my 40 years in law enforcement, I can’t think of a more disturbing case than this. There can be no more vulnerable and innocent victim than an infant, and unfortunately this case involves five.”
During Paul’s trial on charges of first degree murder, Yolanda also alleged that she had suffered a significant amount of abuse and threats of rape over the years.
“These crimes involved pure evil. The defendant should die in prison,” said the district attorney Jeff Reisig he said in reaction to the verdict, according to a news release issued earlier this month by the prosecutor’s office. “May the souls of their slain children rest in peace.”
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6.
California authorities have charged a father and his wife with allegedly abusing their 14-month-old daughter to death over the course of several months, officials confirmed to Us Weekly. Alfredo Muñoz Jr., 40, and Kelly Anelalani Muñoz, 34, have each been charged with one count of murder, torture and assault on a child resulting in death (…)
On Friday, January 9, the California Attorney General Rob Bonta also issued a statement commending the Office of Forensic Services for the work they have done to solve decades-old cases, providing a “pathway to justice”.
“With that conviction, justice was served for these horrific crimes. This case is a powerful example of how innovative scientific techniques are giving victims of crime a voice,” he said at the time. “I am also grateful to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office and all of our law enforcement partners for their dedication to finding justice for these children.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Helpline for children at 1-800-422-4453.