Elizabeth Antoinette Perez, aged 38, was found dead inside her car on June 13, 2016, in Escondido, California. Her body was discovered on the northbound Interstate 15 onramp near El Norte Parkway. Initially, her death was treated as a suspicious incident due to the apparent head injury and blood found on her body. The investigation quickly escalated when it was determined that she had died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
The front driver and passenger windows of her car were shattered, but it was unclear if she was killed inside the vehicle or elsewhere.
The investigation led to the arrest of Edward Andrew Long, Perez's boyfriend, who was apprehended in Las Vegas a little over a week after her body was found. Long, who had a criminal record, became a person of interest early in the investigation after police served a search warrant at his residence. He was later charged with first-degree murder. The police believed the killing was premeditated, although they did not disclose any information regarding the motive or evidence uncovered during the investigation.
Long was extradited to San Diego, where he faced trial for the murder of Elizabeth Perez. In February 2018, he was convicted of first-degree murder and subsequently sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. The case highlighted the tragic end of Perez's life and the swift action taken by law enforcement to bring her killer to justice. The investigation and trial revealed the brutal nature of the crime and the premeditated intent behind it, ensuring that Long would face a lengthy prison sentence for his actions.
