WOODLAND, Calif. — A jury in Northern California has found Paul Allen Perez guilty of murdering his five infant children in a case marked by tragic details and a protracted investigation that spanned nearly a decade and across multiple counties. The 63-year-old Perez faces multiple murder charges, along with an assault count related to a child under eight, as confirmed by the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office.
The harrowing case first gained attention in 2007, when the remains of one baby were found submerged and weighted down in a cooler in Conway Slough, located east of Woodland. Initial forensic examinations classified the death as homicide, prompting authorities to retain DNA evidence for future identification. It wasn’t until years later that advanced familial DNA analysis would point investigators to Perez as the biological father of the deceased infant.
This breakthrough linking Perez to the child, identified as Nikko Lee Perez, born in 1996 in Fresno, led authorities to further examine the deaths of his other children. Over the years, investigators discovered that the other victims, all believed to be under six months old at the time of their deaths, included Kato Allen Perez, Mika Alena Perez, and two additional siblings named Nikko Lee Perez and Kato Krow Perez, who were born in Merced and Fresno between 1992 and 2001. Many victims’ remains remain undiscovered, but investigators compiled compelling evidence through genetic analysis and other leads.
Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig condemned the crimes as deeply disturbing, asserting, “These crimes involved pure evil. The defendant should die in prison. May the souls of his murdered children rest in peace.”
Throughout the period when these crimes occurred, Perez had been transient, traveling across Central California. His arrest in January 2020 came while he was already serving a prison sentence for unrelated offenses, just days before he was set to be released. With DNA evidence and the overarching significance of the case, prosecutors made it clear that the horrific nature of the crimes warranted severe punishment.
After the recent verdict, Perez is facing a potential life sentence without the chance for parole. His formal sentencing is scheduled for April 6, 2026, in Yolo County Superior Court, where victims’ families and advocates will likely gather to express their anguish and seek justice for the tragic losses sustained.