The man suspected of murdering his 18-year-old girlfriend has been arrested in Tennessee. On Wednesday, July 24, the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) announced the arrest of 20-year-old Juan Carlos Diaz Perez via a press release.
Diaz Perez was previously wanted in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Suceli Perez, according to WSAZ. Warrants were issued on Monday, July 22, charging him with first-degree murder. “He was located and arrested near the Oak Ridge Quarry by the U.S. Marshals Smokey Mountain Fugitive Task Force,” the KPD said, adding that he is being transported back to Knoxville.
The organization thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, Oak Ridge Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and the 7th Judicial Drug Task Force for their assistance. On Monday, July 22, detectives arrived at a home in the 1200 block of Mercer Street to investigate a suspected homicide after receiving reports that “a man had gravely injured his girlfriend.”
“Homicide Unit detectives and Forensics personnel responded to the home, where they located evidence of a potentially deadly assault,” the press release said. However, neither the suspect nor the victim, later identified as Suceli Perez, were at the residence when authorities arrived.
In a Tuesday, July 23 update, KPD said Perez’s body “was found in the bed of Diaz Perez’s truck that was recovered in Oak Ridge.” At the time, anyone who may have come in contact with Diaz Perez was advised not to approach him, but to instead dial 911.
Later on Tuesday, the department said Perez’s death was believed to have been caused by blunt force trauma, pending the Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy. The investigation remains active and ongoing.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.