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BREAKING NEWS: DANIEL PEREZ EXTRADITED!
Read the Press Release
- Anabella's Story
- Sister Diane's Story
- Brother Carlos' Story
- Hear Anabella's 911 Telephone Call
- Fontana Police Department Wanted Poster (pdf)
- Daniel Perez Handwritten Letter (pdf)
- Download DA Wanted Poster
- America's Most Wanted
On April 9, 1999, Anabella Vara was kidnapped and held at gunpoint by her estranged husband, Daniel Perez, for four hours. Her life was repeatedly threatened. Anabella was able to temporarily reach a place of safety and call 911 on her cell phone. This enraged defendant Perez who pursued her fleeing vehicle with his vehicle and ran her off the road causing her to run for her life. Perez caught up to Anabella and shot her in the back of the head, leaving her for dead.
Perez was quickly apprehended and charged with attempted murder. He bailed out on $1,000,000, probably illegally posted. Two days before the trial ended, on the day that Anabella, her sister and her father testified, August 27, 1999, Perez broke into the family home at 3:00 a.m. and opened fire hitting her father, Carlos Vara, seven times, killing him instantly. Anabella had been relocated to a "safe house" that evening. Perez has threatened to come back and finish the job on Anabella. She lives in constant fear of his return.
Daniel Perez was convicted of all counts and sentenced in absentia to 33 years, 8 months to life, plus life on Anabella’s case. Carlos Vara’s murder took place in Fontana, California and San Bernardino County District Attorney has filed one count of murder with a P.C. 12022.5(a) and 12022.53(d) allegations. Although no special circumstance has been filed to date, it is clear that P.C. 190.2(a)(10) applies.
My name is Anabella Vara. I’ve been a victim of violent crimes on two occasions, both of which were committed by my ex-husband, Daniel Perez, who is currently a fugitive at large.
I would like to share with you my story.
My family was as normal as they come. My parents were happily married for 25 years, having a total of six children, 3 boys and 3 girls. My dad was a carpenter by trade and the breadwinner in our household.
I am the 2nd to the oldest in the family. I moved out of my parent’s home at a very young age. I had become pregnant at age 15 and shortly thereafter Daniel and I got married and began raising our son together.
We had a normal marriage, I thought. We had a nice home, Daniel had a good job with the Department of Motor Vehicles as a supervisor and I stayed home raising our son. The main issue within our marriage seemed to be Daniel’s controlling ways. Basically for most of our marriage we did things his way. I excepted this because I was young but nevertheless would express to him my views on different issues that varied from his. <more>
The day my life change for the worst was on April 9th 1999! I was returning home from my friend’s house and found a letter posted on the doorknob saying that my sister was in the hospital. It simply crossed my mind that maybe she was in a car accident, because she was having car problems when she went to work that morning. Never would I have thought that this day I would receive news that my sister had been shot! At this point my entire family was together and I was the only one in my family that wasn't at the hospital with her and I really wanted to be there. Soon after, my uncle found me and was able to take me to my family.
When I arrived, my cousin didn’t tell me exactly what happened. So I figured it was more terrible than I pictured it. Because the hospital had a policy that no one under age 16 could visit her, I was taken to my brothers and cousins at my Aunts house. I was dying to know what had really happened. As soon as I stepped out of the car I saw everyone crying. My nephew ran to me and I just held him and said everything was going to be ok. He also didn't know what happened. So finally, I was told that she was shot by my brother in-law in the head. No one was supposed to tell her son (my nephew) so we said she got into a fight. That night everyone just prayed for her to be ok. After 6 days, my sister was able to leave the hospital and return home. Now my sister and my nephew would start living with us until they found a little place for themselves.
Pretty soon my sister would begin to go to court for this. It seemed that trial was going fine everyday and that the judge could see there was <more>My sister’s ex-husband Daniel Perez shot my father to death. He’s been charged for PC 187 murder, by the San Bernardino County Superior Court, and attempted murder by the Los Angeles County Superior Court. I am still in disbelief how he was able to get away. According to the police, it is believe that he has fled to Mexico. U.S. officials fear that a recent Mexican Supreme Court ruling will hinder prosecution for fugitives that are in Mexico.
The court ruled that Mexican residents couldn’t be extradited if they are charges with crimes in the U.S. that could receive a life sentence or death penalty. The Federal and State prosecutors are concerned that they will have to reduce a suspect’s possible punishment to get extradition from Mexico. That means that <more>
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