A father described as “pure evil” has been found guilty of murdering his five infant children over a span 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 from injuries. The cases involved the deaths of five babies, all under six months old, at various locations in Central and Northern California between 1992 and 2001.
The tragic events came to light in 2007 when investigators discovered the remains of a baby submerged in a canal and concealed inside a cooler in the Conway Slough area near Woodland. The baby boy, estimated to be around one month old at the time of death, was identified through DNA analysis. Subsequently, DNA testing in 2019 revealed Perez as the biological father of the child, later named Nikko Lee Perez, born in 1996.
Further investigations unveiled that Nikko was one of five siblings who had tragically lost their lives. The other children were identified as Kato Allen Perez (1992), Mika Alena Perez (1995), Nikko Lee Perez (1997), and Kato Krow Perez (2001), all born to Yolanda Perez in Fresno or Merced. Only the remains of two of the five children have been recovered.
Perez was already incarcerated for unrelated offenses when he was charged in 2020 with five counts of first-degree murder, including torture allegations. During the trial, Yolanda Perez testified about enduring years of abuse and threats from Perez, stating that he fatally struck their first child, Kato Allen, in 1992. Prosecutors revealed that Perez continued to kill the subsequent children shortly after birth, warning his wife against seeking help.
Yolanda Perez admitted guilt to five counts of child endangerment, avoiding murder charges by cooperating with authorities. She may face up to a 10-year prison term. The couple had six children together, with Brittany being the sole survivor.
Deputy District Attorney David Robbins emphasized Perez’s malicious intent in the killings, asserting that the deaths were not accidental but deliberate acts of violence. Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig labeled the crimes as “pure evil,” advocating for Perez to receive a life sentence without parole. Perez is scheduled for sentencing on April 6 in Yolo County Superior Court.