A father described as “pure evil” has been convicted for the murder of his five infant children over a span of nine years. Paul Allen Perez, aged 63, was found guilty by a Yolo County jury in northern California on multiple counts of murder and one count of assault on a child under eight that resulted in death. The District Attorney’s Office confirmed the verdict.
The charges stem from the deaths of five babies, all under six months old, who were killed at various locations across Central and Northern California between 1992 and 2001. The unraveling of Perez’s crimes began in 2007 when authorities discovered the remains of a baby in a canal, concealed inside a cooler in the Conway Slough. DNA evidence linked the baby, known as Nikko Lee Perez, to Paul Allen Perez as the biological father.
Further investigation revealed that Nikko was one of five siblings who had all perished. The other children were identified as Kato Allen Perez, Mika Alena Perez, and Kato Krow Perez, born between 1992 and 2001. Only the remains of two of the children have been recovered to date.
Perez was already imprisoned for unrelated offenses when he was charged in January 2020 with five counts of first-degree murder, including torture. During the trial, Yolanda Perez, his wife and the children’s mother, recounted years of abuse and threats. She testified that Perez killed their first child in 1992 and subsequently went on to kill the other four children within months of their birth.
Yolanda Perez pleaded guilty to child endangerment and is facing a potential jail term of up to 10 years. She was initially charged with murder but agreed to testify in exchange for reduced charges. The couple had six children together, with Brittany being the only surviving child.
Deputy District Attorney David Robbins emphasized in closing arguments that the intentional nature of the killings was evident, stating, “One time is an accident; five times is intentional.” Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig denounced Perez’s actions as “pure evil” and advocated for a life sentence without parole.
Paul Allen Perez is set to be sentenced on April 6 in Yolo County Superior Court, facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
