WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Family and friends gathered at Willowbrook Park on Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil honoring Annette Valdez, a 37-year-old mother of three who was found dead earlier this month, as her loved ones called for change in how domestic violence cases are handled.
Valdez disappeared after Thanksgiving and was found dead in a trash can near Willowbrook Park in Westminster one week later. Her former partner, Thomas Perales, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder. An arrest affidavit shows Perales admitted to choking Valdez during an argument and then carrying her body around for days.
At the vigil, Valdez’s daughter Ace said she is now trying to stay strong for her two younger sisters while grieving the loss of her mother…