On Thursday January 16, 41-year-old Jacob Morales Perez was found guilty of strangling Angela Vance, his live-in girlfriend, in August of 2012. Perez was convicted of second-degree murder for the strangulation death.
According to news reports at Mlive.com, the two were fighting at their Flint home on Minnesota Avenue when Vance knocked of Perez’s glasses while slapping him in the face. A Genesee County Prosecutor’s office news release claims that after being slapped, Perez lunged at his girlfriend and proceeded to strangle her to death.
Perez allegedly went outside of the home following the incident, where he called his brother after drinking a couple of beers. Perez’s sister and boyfriend went to the home after she was given the news by the brother; she called 911 after finding Vance dead in the home.
Perez fully cooperated with police according to his defense lawyer, and told them all that had happened, saying that the day had started out good, and ultimately ended in five minutes of hell. Perez simply became enraged when Vance slapped him. Perez’s defense attorney attempted to argue that his client should be charged with manslaughter, a lesser offense, because he was in a state of anger triggered by the emotional excitement of being slapped when he strangled the victim.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton even agreed that it was a tragic case, but said for Angela to receive justice, Perez had to be held accountable for his lethal actions.
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on February 18, and faces up to life in prison.
In Michigan, second-degree murder encompasses homicide offenses which are not premeditated or committed in the perpetration of a crime such as robbery, home invasion, kidnapping, arson, or carjacking. How many years Perez will spend behind bars is ultimately up to the jurors who may choose to have him imprisoned for life, or any number of years.
Anyone who has been accused of taking someone’s life must obtain the legal support and guidance of an aggressive Michigan criminal defense lawyer at once. Murder is the most serious crime a person can commit; the consequences are life-changing for those convicted. A dedicated defense attorney will work vigorously to protect you from harsh criminal penalties, striving to secure the best possible outcome.