California Baby Killer: Father Convicted of Murdering Five Infant Children
Paul Allen Perez is a Monster
The California Baby Killer: Father Convicted of Murdering Five of His Own Infants Over Nine-Year Period
In a case that has shocked even seasoned investigators, a California father has been found guilty of systematically murdering five of his own infant children over a nine-year period spanning from 1992 to 2001. The conviction of Paul Allen Perez, 63, represents the culmination of a cold case investigation that began with a gruesome discovery in 2007 and ended with DNA technology finally bringing justice to five innocent victims who never had the chance to live.
The Discovery That Cracked the Case Wide Open
The case began with a fisherman making a horrifying discovery in 2007 near Woodland, California, about 20 miles east of Sacramento. In a sealed metal cooler weighted down with heavy objects, investigators found the remains of an infant wrapped in plastic and a Winnie the Pooh blanket. The child, later identified as Nikko Lee Perez, had been just 1 to 3 months old when he died from blunt force trauma.
Inside the macabre container, along with the tiny body, were pieces of metal rotors, a brick, and U-shaped metal pieces—all intended to ensure the cooler would sink and remain hidden beneath the water’s surface. The discovery haunted investigators for years as they struggled to identify the child and his killer.
DNA Breakthrough Solves a 12-Year Mystery
The case remained cold until October 2019, when advanced DNA technology finally provided the breakthrough investigators desperately needed. Through familial DNA analysis, authorities were able to identify the infant as Nikko Lee Perez, born in Fresno in 1996. This identification would prove to be the key that unlocked a horrific pattern of violence spanning nearly a decade.
Once Nikko was identified, investigators discovered he had four siblings who had all died under suspicious circumstances when they were less than 6 months old. The children were identified as:
Kato Allen Perez (born 1992)
Mika Alena Perez (born 1995)
Nikko Lee Perez (born 1997)
Kato Krow Perez (born 2001)
A Pattern of Systematic Infanticide
The investigation revealed a chilling pattern: all five children were killed before reaching six months of age, with the murders occurring across central and northern California over a nine-year period. The geographic spread and time span of the crimes suggested careful planning and an ability to evade detection that spanned multiple jurisdictions.
It remains unclear whether all the children shared the same mother, adding another layer of tragedy and mystery to an already devastating case. What is clear is that Perez systematically targeted his own offspring, ending their lives before they could even begin.
The Convicted Killer
At the time charges were announced in 2020, Perez was already incarcerated at Kern Valley State Prison for unrelated crimes. Adding to the horror of the infant murders, Perez is also a convicted sex offender, though details of his previous convictions were not immediately available.
The fact that Perez was already in custody when the DNA breakthrough occurred meant he couldn’t flee or commit additional crimes, but it also meant he had been living among the general prison population, his horrific crimes undetected for years.
Justice Finally Served
On January 6, 2026, a Yolo County jury convicted Perez of multiple counts of murder and one count of assault of a child under 8 with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death. The conviction came after what was undoubtedly an emotionally grueling trial, with prosecutors presenting evidence of five separate murders spanning nearly a decade.
Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig didn’t mince words when describing the crimes: “These crimes involved pure evil. The defendant should die in prison. May the souls of his murdered children rest in peace.”
The Technology That Made Justice Possible
This case highlights the crucial role that advancing DNA technology plays in solving cold cases. The ability to use familial DNA—matching crime scene evidence to family members in DNA databases—has revolutionized how investigators approach cases that have gone cold for years or even decades.
Without this technological breakthrough, it’s likely that Perez would have continued to evade justice, and the five infants he murdered would have remained nameless, forgotten victims. Instead, investigators were able to give them names, identify their killer, and ensure that their short lives, while tragically ended, were not lived in complete anonymity.
The Road to Sentencing
Perez now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. His sentencing is scheduled for April 6, 2026, where a judge will formally impose the sentence that will ensure he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
The life sentence without parole means Perez will never again walk free, never again have the opportunity to harm another child. For the families affected by these crimes, it represents a measure of justice, though nothing can truly compensate for the loss of five innocent lives.
A Stark Reminder of Hidden Horrors
This case serves as a sobering reminder that the most horrific crimes can remain hidden for years, decades even, when perpetrators take careful steps to conceal their actions. The fact that five infants could be murdered over nine years without detection speaks to both the cunning of their killer and the challenges investigators face when dealing with crimes against the most vulnerable victims.
Infants and young children are often the perfect victims for those seeking to avoid detection—they cannot speak for themselves, they have no established relationships or routines that might be noticed if disrupted, and their absence may not be immediately apparent to those outside their immediate family.
The Ongoing Impact
While justice has been served in this case, the impact of these crimes will reverberate for years to come. The mothers of these children, whether one woman or multiple women, have lived with the loss of their infants, likely never knowing the true circumstances of their deaths until this investigation revealed the horrifying truth.
The investigators who worked this case for nearly two decades carry with them the weight of what they’ve seen and learned. The fisherman who made the initial discovery in 2007 undoubtedly remains haunted by what he found that day.
The conviction of Paul Allen Perez represents both a triumph of modern forensic technology and a heartbreaking reminder of the evil that can lurk behind closed doors. Five innocent lives were stolen before they could even begin, their killer evading justice for decades through careful planning and what appears to be a complete lack of human conscience.
While Perez will spend the rest of his life in prison, true justice remains impossible—nothing can bring back those five children or give them the lives they deserved. All we can do is remember their names: Kato Allen, Mika Alena, Nikko Lee, and Kato Krow Perez. May their memory serve as a reminder that even the most carefully hidden crimes can eventually be uncovered, and that advancing technology continues to give investigators powerful new tools to solve cases that once seemed impossible.
If you have any information about cold cases or missing persons, please contact your local law enforcement agency or submit tips through TheColdCases.com.