Arrest warrant issued for mother accused of taking three boys who disappeared in West Palm Beach
Three boys disappeared in West Palm Beach last week following the death of their uncle and legal guardian, police say. Now, an arrest warrant has been issued for their mother, who does not have custody of them.
Maria Trinidad Perez, 36, now faces three counts of inference with custody, according to West Palm Beach Police. She and her three sons remain missing.
Nicholas, Gabriel, and Juan Pablo Garnica Perez, ages 8, 13, and 16, were last seen about 2:30 a.m. on May 8, leaving the home where they had lived with their uncle and getting into a rideshare, according to a police media release. That morning, their uncle had fallen ill and was taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center, where he died.
In an update Monday, West Palm Beach Police said the boys had gone to stay with their mother, Maria Trinidad Perez, 36, before they disappeared. She was staying at a motel in Greenacres, and had refused to meet with police and the Department of Children and Families.
“We just wanted to put eyes on those kids with DCF,” said Mike Jachles, a spokesperson for West Palm Beach Police.
When Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies and the boys’ lawyer later arrived at the motel, Perez had already left. After “extensive searches by tactical teams” and patrol officers, and bulletins alerting local police to the situation, she and her sons remained nowhere to be found.
On Monday, West Palm Beach Police detectives, through the boys’ attorney, made one last attempt to negotiate with Perez, threatening her with arrest, Jachles said. She did not respond, and that night, a Palm Beach County judge signed a warrant for her arrest.
“She forced our hand,” Jachles said.
The three boys have not been to school since they left home last week, according to the release. It is unclear if they have another guardian they could go to if their mother is arrested.
Perez pleaded guilty to three counts of child neglect in 2022 after a 2019 case in which PBSO deputies found her three children in a bedroom with no furniture. Her roommate had called for a welfare check because Perez had not returned home in three weeks, according to a probable cause affidavit, and saw her children only for a few minutes to drop off food.
Anyone who sees Maria Perez or the boys or knows where they are should call 911 and mention West Palm Beach case #7991.
This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
