On a December evening just days before Christmas, a holiday gathering in Damascus, Maryland, turned tragic, leaving one man dead and another facing a murder charge that would later be dismissed. The deceased was Mario Alberto Perez, a 40-year-old man. The events unfolded at the home of his acquaintance, Francisco A. Trujillo, on Ridge Road. Perez had been invited to Trujillo's home, and the two were reportedly celebrating the holidays with Perez's girlfriend and his 8-year-old son.
The get-together took a dark turn as an argument, fueled by alcohol, erupted between the two men. The dispute, which was said to be over a work issue, escalated over the course of nearly an hour.
The verbal altercation culminated in a fatal shooting. Responding to a 911 call made from the residence around 12:30 a.m. on December 21, 2015, Montgomery County police and paramedics arrived to find Mario Alberto Perez on the main level of the house with a gunshot wound to his torso. Despite medical efforts, Perez succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Francisco Trujillo was taken into custody by officers at the home and was subsequently charged with first-degree murder. He was held without bond.
The investigation that followed brought to light conflicting narratives of the night's events. Trujillo's wife, in her 911 call, stated that Perez had been intoxicated and had threatened them. Trujillo claimed that he acted in self-defense against an aggressive and threatening Perez. According to Trujillo's account, Perez, a former Marine, became increasingly irate, leading Trujillo to retrieve his gun. He stated that Perez then charged at him, prompting him to fire a single shot to the chest. In the subsequent legal proceedings, a grand jury considered the evidence presented, including Trujillo's claim of self-defense. Ultimately, the grand jury chose not to indict him on the first-degree murder charge. Following this decision, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office announced that they would not pursue any further criminal charges against Francisco Trujillo in the death of Mario Alberto Perez.
