Mayra Perez

Background

Mayra Perez was 23 and lived in northeast Denver with her husband, Ricky Perez, and her three children: Nevaeh Morales, 4; Erick Perez, 1; and Isabel Perez, 3. The family had moved to Denver a little more than a year ago for Ricky Perez’s job in construction and moved to the neighborhood about three months earlier.

Relatives described Mayra Perez as a doting mother. Her relatives in Canutillo, Texas, said the couple sometimes quarreled, and they had seen problems in recent interactions. A neighbor said the family appeared friendly and that the children were seen riding bikes and walking a dog.

The offence

Police said Mayra Perez shot her three children before turning the gun on herself in the early morning of Feb. 6. Isabel Perez was shot in the head and survived, while Nevaeh Morales and Erick Perez died of gunshot wounds.

Investigators said Mayra Perez used a shotgun and a handgun in the Feb. 6 shootings. The information in the search-warrant affidavit stated that Mayra Perez had a shotgun in her lap and that an officer also noticed a small-caliber handgun on a mattress. Detectives recovered shotgun shells, spent casings and spent bullets inside the home.

Nevaeh suffered multiple gunshot wounds, while Mayra Perez and Erick each died of a single gunshot, according to the Denver Medical Examiner’s Office. Police said Mayra Perez had two guns during the killings.

Investigation

Denver police officers were called to the home in the 4900 block of Pearl Street at 6:55 a.m. for reports of a shooting. Police had made no arrests and said there was “no reason to suspect a killer is on the loose.” At the time, police said they were “not looking for any suspects.”

Cmdr. Ronald Saunier later said detectives planned to search the house and that investigators from the Denver Medical Examiner’s Office had arrived to help piece together what happened. Saunier said it was a “horrific scene” and that “Anytime you have kids involved, it’s horrible. It plays on the heartstrings of anyone involved.”

The search-warrant affidavit application also stated that relatives in Canutillo, Texas, were confounded by the shootings. Ricky Perez told detectives they had argued the night before and that he went to a friend’s house to cool off. Friends told police he stayed with them that night. When he returned home at about 6 a.m. to take the children to school, he found their bodies inside a bedroom and called 911, according to the affidavit.

A small ribbon of yellow tape blocked access Wednesday, and it later disappeared, allowing passers-by to peer into a yard strewn with children’s toys.

Arrest

No arrests were made.

Trial

No trial information was provided.

Sentencing

No sentencing information was provided.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

Police confirmed that Mayra Perez shot her three children and then killed herself. Nevaeh Morales and Erick Perez died from gunshot wounds. Isabel Perez survived the shooting and received medical care after being shot in the head.

Aftermath

Isabel remained in a deep coma initially and was later transferred for continued treatment. Doctors said her immediate recovery was a “miracle.” Dr. Ken Winston, the neurosurgeon treating Isabel at Denver Health Medical Center, said:

"I don't usually use the word 'miracle,' but if you can ever use it, this would be an example," said Dr. Ken Winston, the neurosurgeon treating Isabel at Denver Health Medical Center. "She's doing extremely well, wonderfully well, given the severity of her injury."

Dr. Margaret Clarke, Isabel’s pediatric intensive-care physician, said Isabel was in a coma until Feb. 17 and that interaction and playfulness increased after she opened her eyes last week. Clarke said:

"She's a feisty young girl," Clarke said. "She's been a feisty young girl from the get-go, as I understand from her family."

Denver Health’s director of pediatric surgery and trauma services, Dr. Denis Bensard, credited paramedics and the treatment team for Isabel’s steady recovery and cited Louis Pasteur. Bensard said:

"When I heard that word 'miracle,' I remembered the words of Louis Pasteur, who said, 'Chance favors the prepared mind,' " Bensard said. "I would say in this case, the miracle favors the prepared team, and that's certainly what she had."

At first, detectives had not identified the people found dead inside, but relatives later said the deceased were Perez (22), her daughter, Nevaeh Morales, and her son, Erick Perez. Police Cmdr. Ronald Saunier said Isabel was in “extremely critical condition.”

Isabel’s family released a statement thanking paramedics, doctors, nurses and the public. The statement said:

"From the family in Colorado Springs who sent us pizza in the hospital to eat, to the prayers and letters we've received from as far as Peru," they said, "our family is grateful for the prayers and kindness we've felt from the community."

After Isabel was discharged from Children’s Hospital Colorado on Thursday afternoon, she moved to Carlsbad, N.M., to live with her dad, Ricky Perez, and her grandmother, Alma Bernal. Isabel’s recovery was described as continuing to progress. A pediatric rehabilitation specialist, Dr. Mike DiChiaro, said Isabel could speak, move her arms and sit unassisted, and that there was a “good chance” she would be able to walk in the future. DiChiaro said:

"She has been a complete delight. She is just a super-sweet girl," DiChiaro said. "You can really feel the love from her family, and I think that so much drives this degree of recovery."

Alma said the family expected Isabel to be in therapy for years. Alma said:

"When she sees pictures of the family," Bernal said, "you can tell that she remembers some of it."

At an early news conference, Mayra Perez’s brother, Tony Nuñez, said:

"What's done is done," said Perez's brother, Tony Nuñez. "Whatever reason drove her to this, it's going to be in God's hands. He'll be the judge of her. We have to focus our prayers and hopes on my little niece."

Isabel’s father, Ricky Perez, was described as spending time at a friend’s place after arguing with his wife, then returning home just before 7 a.m. to find the bodies and call 911. A Denver police major-crimes Cmdr. Ronald Saunier said:

"He's the one who made the call to us," said Denver police major-crimes Cmdr. Ronald Saunier. "He's been very cooperative throughout this."

At a later point, a pastor, Pepe Rojas, said:

"He was working, and this terrible tragedy happened in his home."

A neighbor, Joann Cobb, said:

"I'm in such a shock. They were just a happy little family."

Another neighbor, Rosalinda Bustillos, said:

"It's just scary because we all know each other around here, and we've been here several years," Bustillos said. "This has never happened around here, and I never thought it would."

Mayra Perez’s sister, Liliana Castro, said she received a phone call at 7 a.m. and recalled what Ricky Perez told her. Castro said:

"I got a phone call at 7 a.m.," said Perez's sister, Liliana Castro. It was her sister's husband, Ricky Perez, who told her he had found the bodies when he returned home Wednesday morning. "He just told me he needed to tell me something, but he didn't know how to say it," Castro said. "I asked him, 'What happened?' He's like, 'I don't know, I don't know.' He couldn't talk. He just hung up."

Ricky Perez’s cousin, Edgar Munoz, asked for prayer and said:

"I want to ask for a prayer to guide us through the hard times we're going through," Ricky Perez's cousin, Edgar Munoz, said at the news conference.

Timeline

• Feb. 6, 2013 — Police said Mayra Perez shot her three children and then killed herself in the early morning.
• Feb. 17, 2013 — Isabel Perez remained in a coma until Feb. 17, after which her interaction and playfulness increased.
• Feb. 22, 2013 — Isabel’s condition was described as a “miracle” by Dr. Ken Winston, and she was still being treated at Denver Health Medical Center with plans for transfer.
• Feb. 25, 2013 — Court records were described as showing Mayra Perez used a shotgun and a handgun in the Feb. 6 shootings.
• Apr. 18, 2013 — Isabel was discharged from Children’s Hospital Colorado and moved to Carlsbad, N.M., to live with her dad, Ricky Perez, and Bernal.

Other details

The killings occurred at a home identified as the 4900 block of North Pearl Street / Pearl Street. Detectives and the Denver Medical Examiner’s Office were involved in investigating the scene. About 60 people gathered in Argo Park as a cold rain fell, and most were members of Providence Bible Church.

Mayra Perez called her mother Tuesday night to get a recipe for gorditas and quarreled with her husband before the shootings. One family timeline element described that she called her mother at night, her husband left to cool off, and by early morning Perez and two children were dead with a third critically wounded.