Colorado Man Accused of Killing Mother of His Children, Then Dumping Her Body in a Trash Can

Unfortunately, senseless murders are not uncommon in Colorado and beyond, but one recent story of a man killing the mother of his children is especially grisly, given what he did with the deceased’s body after he took her life.

Colorado Couple + a History of Domestic Violence

The man in this case has been identified as Thomas Perales, a homeless man who was recently released from jail. While it’s unclear as to why Perales was in jail in the first place, it has been revealed that he has a history of being violent.

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In fact, records show that in the past two years alone, police were called to the victim’s house 67 times due to instances of things like trespassing, disturbances, and domestic violence.

The victim, 37-year-old Annette Marie Valdez, was the mother of Perales’s three children until she disappeared on November 28, 2025.

Colorado Homeless Man Allegedly Commits Murder + Abuse of a Corpse

According to Perales, the couple got into an argument on Thanksgiving of 2025 that resulted in him blacking out and discovering that he had strangled Valdez to death.

While this part of the story is shocking in itself, what happened next is truly horrifying.

After police discovered Valdez’s body in a garbage can near Willowbrook Park in Westminster, Colorado, on December 4, Perales was arrested on suspicion of murder, violation of a protection order, and abuse of a corpse.

While being questioned by police, Perales made the shocking comment, "You know I killed my wife and paraded her around?"

This statement was corroborated by other members of the homeless community who alleged that after murdering Valdez, Perales was seen pushing her lifeless body around in a shopping cart covered in blankets before leaving her in the aforementioned trash can.

Read More: Is This Guy Really “Colorado’s Smartest Killer?”

Check out the full story here.