WESTMINSTER, COLORADO — Authorities in Colorado have charged a 38-year-old man with first-degree murder after police say he killed the mother of his children, then pushed her body around in a shopping cart for days before discarding her remains in a trash can at a public park.
The suspect, Thomas Perales, is accused in the killing of Annette Valdez, 37, whose body was discovered near Willowbrook Park in Westminster, a northern suburb of Denver. Prosecutors say the case represents a devastating example of domestic violence escalating to homicide.
Victim Found Dead in Park Trash Can
On December 4, the Westminster Police Department announced it was investigating a suspicious death after Valdez’s body was found inside a garbage can near Willowbrook Park. Investigators later confirmed her death was being treated as a homicide.
Local media reported that Valdez’s body may have been in the trash can for up to six days before being discovered. Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death, stating that forensic testing is still underway…