A 37-year-old mother of three was found dead inside a trash can near Willowbrook Park on Dec. 4, and her former partner was arrested a day later on suspicion of murder and related counts, authorities said. Court records show the man had been released from jail roughly a week before Valdez disappeared.
Police said detectives opened a homicide investigation after officers found the body of Annette Marie Valdez in a trash container in a neighborhood just west of Federal Boulevard. The discovery followed several days of missing-person reports from family, who told officers Valdez had not been heard from since late November. Investigators quickly focused on her former partner, Thomas Perales, who was taken into custody Dec. 5 on suspicion of second-degree murder, violation of a protection order, and abuse of a corpse. Prosecutors later announced formal charges that include murder and tampering with a deceased human body. The case has drawn attention because Perales had left jail days earlier following an arrest for violating a court order in a domestic case involving Valdez.
According to an arrest affidavit summarized by officials, witnesses reported seeing a man pushing a trash can and, later, a shopping cart containing a bundle wrapped in blankets in the days before the body was found. One acquaintance told detectives the man said he had killed his “wife” and “paraded her around.” Police recovered surveillance video from nearby businesses and homes to map a route toward the park. Officers sealed the scene around a greenway trash enclosure on Dec. 4 while crime-scene technicians documented the container and collected items for testing. Family members were notified that evening, and the county coroner began post-mortem examinations to determine cause and manner of death.
Court filings show Perales had been arrested repeatedly over the last two years on allegations tied to Valdez, including violating a protection order. He was released from the Adams County jail in late November after a brief hold for the most recent violation, records indicate. Valdez’s relatives said she struggled to separate from him despite the court order, describing a cycle of threats, reconciliations and renewed conflict. “We tried to protect her,” said Adam Larson, Valdez’s brother. “We watched this escalate and begged her to stay away.” Neighbors near Willowbrook Park said they noticed increased police activity in the days surrounding the search and discovery.
The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said charges would be pursued while additional lab results are pending. Prosecutors added counts of tampering with a deceased human body and violating a protection order, and noted that further charges could be considered if new evidence emerges. Perales was booked into the Adams County Detention Facility and ordered held without bond by a judge during an initial appearance. A public defender was appointed to represent him. The court set deadlines for discovery and scheduled the first status conference for early January; a preliminary hearing date will be determined after attorneys confer.
Valdez’s death highlights a corridor of northwest metro Denver where officers respond to frequent domestic calls, according to dispatch logs cited in court documents. Relatives said police had visited Valdez’s home many times for disturbances and protection-order violations. In interviews, advocates said separation is one of the highest-risk moments in abusive relationships, and that violations of civil protection orders often precede serious assaults. Westminster police asked nearby agencies for help canvassing bus stops and encampments where witnesses reported seeing a man with a cart and blanket-covered bundle in late November.
On the day after the discovery, detectives arrested Perales at a location in Adams County and transported him to the Westminster Police Department for questioning, according to the affidavit summary. Investigators seized clothing, a phone and a backpack under search warrants and later obtained location data they say placed him near the park. The coroner has not publicly released a final autopsy, but investigators wrote that the body showed signs consistent with asphyxiation during an argument. The affidavit also notes statements that Perales and Valdez were seen together after his release from jail and before she was reported missing.
Friends described Valdez as devoted to her three children and close with extended family. Over the weekend, relatives and neighbors gathered at Willowbrook Park for a candlelight vigil, placing flowers near the trail where police worked under floodlights days earlier. “We want her remembered for her love of her kids and her kindness,” a family friend said at the gathering. Residents who live along the greenway said officers went door to door asking for video and checking trash enclosures for possible evidence.
Felony murder cases in Colorado often move through several early steps before a trial date is set. After Monday’s advisement, prosecutors must provide discovery materials, including body-camera footage, witness statements and lab requests. Defense attorneys may pursue motions on statements and searches described in the affidavit. If the court finds probable cause at a preliminary hearing, the case would be bound over for arraignment in district court. Prosecutors said they will consult with Valdez’s family on any plea offers and continue to evaluate whether additional counts are warranted as results return from the state crime lab.
By Sunday night, Westminster police said no additional suspects were being sought. The trash enclosure where Valdez was found has reopened, but detectives asked nearby residents to retain any camera footage from late November through Dec. 4 while evidence collection continues. Perales remains jailed pending further hearings. A complete autopsy, including toxicology, is expected in the coming weeks and will formally establish cause and manner of death.
Author note: Last updated December 15, 2025.