A father described as “pure evil” has been found guilty of murdering his five infant children over a period of nine years. Paul Allen Perez, aged 63, was convicted by a Yolo County jury in northern California on multiple murder charges and one count of assault on a child under eight resulting in death.
The convictions are related to the deaths of five infants, all under six months old, who were killed at various locations across Central and Northern California between 1992 and 2001. Perez’s crimes came to light in 2007 when investigators discovered the remains of a baby in a canal, concealed inside a cooler in the Conway Slough, east of Woodland. The baby boy, estimated to be about one month old, was identified through DNA evidence as Nikko Lee Perez, born in 1996 in Fresno.
Further investigation revealed that Nikko was one of five siblings who had died under similar circumstances. The other children were identified as Kato Allen Perez, Mika Alena Perez, and Kato Krow Perez, all born between 1992 and 2001. Only the remains of two of the children have been located.
Perez, already incarcerated for unrelated offenses, was charged in 2020 with five counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his children. During the trial, Yolanda Perez, his wife, testified about years of abuse and threats. She recounted how Perez killed their first child in 1992 and subsequently murdered four more infants, warning her not to involve the authorities.
Yolanda Perez, who pleaded guilty to child endangerment, avoided murder charges by cooperating with the prosecution. The couple had six children, with Brittany being the only surviving child. The Deputy District Attorney emphasized Perez’s lack of remorse during the trial, stating that killing five children could not be considered accidental.
Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig described the crimes as “pure evil” and advocated for Perez to spend his life in prison. The sentencing for Perez is scheduled for April 6 in Yolo County Superior Court, where he faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.