Colorado has been shaken by a horrifying crime that investigators say is among the most disturbing the state has seen in years. Thomas Perales, a man recently released from jail, now stands accused of murdering the mother of his children — and then disposing of her body in a way that detectives described as “cold, calculated, and almost surreal.”
The victim, 37-year-old Annette Marie Valdez, a mother of three, had been missing for days when her body was discovered on Dec. 4 inside a trash can at a quiet Westminster park. The gruesome discovery stunned officers who responded to the scene — some reportedly saying they could not believe someone had attempted to hide a human body so brazenly in a public space.
According to prosecutors, Valdez is believed to have died sometime between Nov. 28 and Dec. 4. In the days before her body was found, residents reported seeing a man pushing a shopping cart through the area at odd hours. Only later, after Perales’ arrest, did witnesses come forward claiming they saw him moving what appeared to be a large, blanket-wrapped shape inside the cart. One witness allegedly told police the cart “made a sound like it was carrying something heavy, something not alive.”
Annette’s brother, Adam Larson, said he heard that Perales, who was homeless at the time, had been “pushing her around in a shopping cart to get her from place to place.” He added that the family had begged Annette for years to leave Perales, warning her repeatedly that the volatile relationship could end in tragedy. But Annette always returned, insisting, “He’s the father of my kids.”
Perales was arrested the day after the discovery of the body. Authorities say he faces charges of first-degree murder, violating a protection order, domestic violence, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. The protection order — which should have legally kept him away from Valdez — was issued after previous incidents of violence, raising questions about how Perales managed to slip under the radar so soon after his Nov. 21 release from jail.
Police have not yet revealed the full details of what they believe happened in the days leading up to Valdez’s death, but sources close to the investigation claim the evidence points to a “prolonged and violent encounter” before Perales attempted to dispose of the body. Detectives are now working to reconstruct Annette’s final hours — and to determine how long Perales may have transported her remains before leaving them in the park.
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The community is reeling, heartbroken and horrified.
Valdez’s children are now without their mother — and their father sits in a jail cell accused of ending her life in a manner so shocking it has left even veteran investigators shaken.
What remains unclear is whether Perales has an attorney or has entered a plea. What is clear is that the case is far from over… and the full truth, when it comes out, may be even darker than what has already been revealed.
