Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Montebello Dad In Freeway Standoff Charged With Murdering Wife And Kidnapping Children

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

After a freeway standoff in San Diego County last week, a Montebello father has been charged today with the murder of his wife and the kidnapping of his four sons.

Authorities arrested 43-year-old Daniel Perez on Dec. 11 after he led El Cajon police and CHP on a car chase in his black 2014 Toyota Camry that was carrying his children. Police had begun a search for his sons, whose ages range from 6 to 11 years old, after an amber alert was issued.

This came on the heels of Montebello police finding the body of Perez's 39-year-old wife, Erica Perez, stuffed in the trunk of their family car in Montebello on Dec. 10. The family had been reported missing since Dec. 5.

His sons, who were not harmed, were taken into protective custody and are now staying with family members, reported CBS Los Angeles. Family members said that the couple's marriage was plagued by domestic violence.

Perez is scheduled to be arraigned in court today. If convicted, he faces the maximum sentence of life in state prison.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today