Authorities in Colorado say a man killed the mother of his children, transported her body in a shopping cart for several days, and ultimately discarded her remains in a public trash bin, according to court filings and police statements.
The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced that Thomas Perales, 38, has been charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human corpse, domestic violence as a habitual offender, and two counts of violating a protection order. The charges stem from the killing of 37-year-old Annette Valdez, Perales’ former partner and the mother of his children.
The Westminster Police Department first disclosed on December 4 that it was investigating a “suspicious” death near Willowbrook Park in Westminster, a northern suburb of Denver. Authorities later confirmed Valdez as the victim and classified the case as a homicide. Local media outlets, including The Denver Post, reported that her body was found inside a garbage can in the park. Investigators believe Valdez may have been dead for as long as six days before she was discovered.
Perales, who was reportedly the last person seen with Valdez, was arrested on December 5. Police say he was homeless at the time. According to investigators, the case broke open after Perales told a witness that he had been “pushing her around in a shopping cart to get her from place to place” before leaving her near a creek. After his arrest, authorities say Perales admitted to killing Valdez and then “paraded her around.”
The cause of Valdez’s death has not yet been determined. Family members say the killing followed years of abuse. Valdez’s brother, Adam Larson, told Law and Crime that his sister repeatedly tried to leave Perales but felt trapped because of their children.
“We tried so much to get her away from him, and every single time she went right back to him,” Larson said. “All she could say is, ‘That’s my kid’s father.’” Larson added that he immediately suspected Perales. “I had a feeling it was him,” he said.
According to officials, the most recent domestic violence incident occurred when Valdez contacted her mother after seeing Perales outside her apartment through a Ring camera. Police say Perales damaged the door, smeared paint on the camera, and attempted to break into her home. Valdez had an active protection order against him at the time.
Perales had been released from prison on November 21, just weeks before Valdez’s death. Her family believes the system failed to protect her. “She didn’t have the resources that she needed to be able to feel that safety,” said Analisa Larson, Adam Larson’s wife, in an interview with Fox News.
“I think they hand you a piece of paper and say, ‘here is a protection order’ … well, what do you do with that when he keeps coming back?” A GoFundMe page set up for the family describes Valdez as “a beloved daughter, sister, mother, and friend, taken from us far too soon due to domestic violence.”
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