Investigators in California have confirmed the use of an interesting method of DNA comparison in a recent arrest made in connection with a 2007 cold case involving the death of an infant, and the suspected homicides of four additional infants under the age of six months. While the coroner’s records are sealed and few details are public, Lieutenant Matthew Davis of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Forensic that “newborn bloodspots did play a role in the case.”
On March 29, 2007, a deceased infant was discovered by a fisherman in a waterway in Yolo County, California. The baby was found in a sealed container and weighed down with heavy objects. Until recently, no information was discovered to further an investigation. In October 2019, however, the infant was identified as Nikko Lee Perez, born on Nov. 8, 1996 in Fresno, California, by DNA comparison.
Almost all 4 million babies born in the U.S. receive a heel prick 24 to 48 hours after birth as part of the Newborn Genetic Screening program. The program tests newborns’ blood for between 17 and 60 genetic diseases. In some states, after the genetic markers are analyzed, the card with the newborn’s blood becomes property of the state—and California is one such state.
The Yolo County Sherriff’s Office said the identification was the result of work by the California DOJ Bureau of Forensic Services, Jan Bashinski DNA Laboratory in Richmond—where the newborn blood cards were stored—and the Yolo County Coroner’s Office.
Once the identification of Nikko Lee Perez was confirmed, investigators were able to sketch out a family tree that included four additional siblings. One sibling, Kato Allen Perez, was born in nearby Merced, California in 1992 and known to be deceased. However, Lieutenant Davis said three other siblings—who were never reported missing and were thus unknown to law enforcement—are now also believed to be deceased. This includes: Mika Alena Perez, born in Merced in 1995; Nikko Lee Perez, born in Fresno in 1997; and Kato Krow Perez, born in Fresno in 2001. The remains of these three victims have not yet been located.
The father of all five children, Paul Perez, 57, has been placed under arrest for the individual murders of each infant.
“While I am proud of the efforts of my investigators and coroner’s office, this is not a day that will bring joy to any one of us,” said Yolo County Sheriff Tom Lopez. “In my 40 years in law enforcement, I cannot think of a case more disturbing than this one. There can be no victim more vulnerable and innocent than an infant, and unfortunately this case involves five.”
According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), after newborn screening, what is left of the blood spots is stored in a secure facility, and labeled with a unique bar code, rather than identifying information. The codes to match the bar code are secured in a different site. The CDPH says the blood may be used for research purposes, but insurance companies, employers, etc., do not have access. However, there is an exception for law enforcement.
“Law enforcement officials can only obtain access to the specimens with a court order signed by a judge, but court orders are rarely granted,” reads a handout from CDPH. “They are limited to special circumstances, such as in cases of a missing child. In the 30-year history of the program, only a few court orders have been received.”
With the coroner’s records sealed and the Sheriff’s Office refraining from further comment on an active case, there are still questions, chief among them pertaining to exactly how the blood spots were used and how the court order was secured.