The patriarch of a Montebello family that was missing for about a week was booked on suspicion of murder stemming from the death of his 39-year-old wife, whose body was found stuffed in the trunk of a family car parked on a street near their home, police said Friday.
Daniel Perez, 43, was also booked on suspicion of kidnapping, according to Montebello police. He was arrested Thursday morning following a brief pursuit that ended in the Santee area of San Diego County. Perez had his four children in his car, but all were recovered safely following his arrest on an elevated freeway ramp.
Perez and the children — Alex Hayden Perez, 6, Tristin Devin Perez, 8, Jaden Eric Perez, 9, and Jordan Dante Perez, 11 — had been the subjects of a statewide Amber Alert that was issued early Thursday morning, hours after the body of Erica Perez was found in the parked car at Harding Avenue and Third Street.
The children have since been reunited with relatives, police said.
Police have not disclosed how Erica Perez died.
The Perez family had not been seen since Dec. 5, and relatives reported them missing earlier this week, noting that the couple’s marriage was unstable and marred by domestic violence. Montebello police on Wednesday initially asked for the public’s help locating the family, but when Erica Perez’s body was found Wednesday night, a manhunt began for Daniel Perez and the children.
Perez’s 2014 Toyota Camry was located by police Thursday morning in El Cajon thanks to a Lo-Jack tracking device on the vehicle. Police tried to stop the vehicle, but Perez drove off, with all four children in the vehicle. He stopped around 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the middle of the eastbound state Route 52 connector road to southbound state Route 67 in Santee.
Two of the children got out of the vehicle and ran to the safety of officers who were positioned behind Perez’s car. Perez remained in the vehicle for about an hour with two other children. The three got out of the car shortly before 10 a.m. and police tackled the struggling Perez and took him into custody.
—City News Service