In the spring of 2018, a young father's life was cut tragically short in a parking lot in Kennesaw, Georgia. Daniel Perez, a 25-year-old man, was shot in the head on the evening of Friday, March 23, 2018, while sitting in his pickup truck with his younger brother. The incident occurred in a business complex parking lot located in the 3400 block of Old 41 Highway, across from North Cobb High School, from which Perez himself had graduated. Following the shooting, Perez was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared brain dead. He remained on life support until passing away on Monday, March 26, 2018. He was a father to three young children.
The investigation into the senseless act of violence revealed a plot that began as a robbery. Five individuals were ultimately implicated in the crime that led to Perez's untimely death. The plan was for Devin Thomas to arrange a meeting with Perez under the pretense of buying marijuana. Surveillance footage from the scene captured Thomas approaching Perez's truck, while another individual, Gustavo Hernandez-Ortiz, lay in wait, concealed behind a nearby vehicle and armed with a handgun.
After a brief interaction between Thomas and Perez, Hernandez-Ortiz emerged from his hiding spot, ran towards the truck, and fired a single shot, striking Perez in the back of the head. In the chaotic moments that followed, Thomas and Hernandez-Ortiz fled to a getaway car where three others, Brittani Hernandez, Charlton Kariuki, and Maria Mungai, were waiting. Testimony from Kariuki, Mungai, and Brittani Hernandez during legal proceedings indicated that the fatal shooting was not part of the original plan. They recounted Hernandez-Ortiz exclaiming, 'I shot him, I shot him,' upon returning to the vehicle. Evidence presented at trial showed that Kariuki had been responsible for obtaining the gun and ammunition used in the murder.
In the wake of the investigation, all five individuals were apprehended and faced legal consequences for their roles in the death of Daniel Perez. Gustavo Hernandez-Ortiz, the shooter, was convicted of murder, aggravated assault, criminal intent to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. His four co-conspirators, Brittani Hernandez, Charlton Kariuki, Maria Mungai, and Devin Thomas, all entered guilty pleas prior to trial. In September 2021, sentences were handed down, bringing a close to the legal chapter of a tragedy that forever altered the lives of all involved.
