On May 10, 2023, at approximately 4:40 p.m., Anaheim Police Department officers responded to reports of an assault near the intersection of Western Avenue and Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim, California. Upon arrival, they discovered 35-year-old Juan Leon in the 3200 block of West Cabot Drive, suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel transported Leon to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Following an intensive investigation, detectives identified 36-year-old Paul Perez, a transient with a substantial criminal history, as the primary suspect in Leon's death. Perez's criminal record includes multiple drug-related offenses and firearm violations. In January 2023, he pleaded guilty to charges including possession of a controlled substance while armed with a gun and carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in public. Earlier convictions include possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell in December 2018 and July 2018, as well as various misdemeanor offenses in May 2021.
On May 13, 2023, Anaheim Police investigators located and arrested Perez in Norwalk, California, without incident. He was subsequently charged with murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, with additional sentencing enhancements for the discharge of a firearm causing death and personal use of a firearm. Perez was booked into the Anaheim Detention Facility, where he is being held without bail. Authorities have not disclosed a potential motive for the shooting or the nature of the relationship, if any, between Perez and Leon. The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives have urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the Anaheim Police Department or Orange County Crime Stoppers.
