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Missing Persons Search Shifts To Murder Investigation As Authorities Cite Evidence Suggesting Woman Was Killed By Her Boyfriend
Texas authorities believe Luis Angel Montes killed his girlfriend, Camerina Trujillo Perez in the early morning hours of Jan. 25, before going on the run.
A missing persons search has shifted into a murder investigation after authorities say they found “evidence” suggesting a Texas man killed his girlfriend before going on the run.
Travis County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that a murder warrant has been issued for Luis Angel Montes, 35, for the death of his girlfriend Camerina Trujillo Perez, 38.
“This is a horrible outcome, and my heart goes out to Camerina’s friends and family,” Sheriff Sally Hernandez said. “We are doing everything we can to find Luis Montes and bring justice to her loved ones.”
Family members reported Perez and Montes missing on Jan. 25, one day after the couple was last seen together in Pflugerville.
Just days later, on Jan. 31, investigators found evidence that “strongly indicates” that Perez “did not willingly leave her family, job and life behind,” Sgt. Sylvia Leal said in a statement from the sheriff’s office.
They added that Perez’s vehicle had reportedly been seen on Jan. 27 “traveling north through Temple,” but authorities were still unsure of the couple’s whereabouts. A "clear alert" was issued to trigger the public’s help in finding the missing couple, but the alert later expired.
“Statements provided to detectives indicated there was a possibility that Camerina could be in danger, as Luis had reportedly made threatening statements about Camerina in the past,” authorities said.
The direction of the investigation shifted on Friday from a missing persons search to a murder investigation.
“As they pursued leads and gathered evidence, a disturbing chain of events began to emerge,” authorities said. “Evidence indicates that in the early morning hours of January 25, 2022, Camerina was killed by Luis.”
Kristen Dark, the senior public information officer for the Travis County Sheriff's Office, declined to discuss specifics of the case with Oxygen.com but did say that authorities had not found Perez's body yet.
As of Monday morning, Dark said Montes remained at large.
Anyone with information about Montes’ current whereabouts is asked to contact the Travis County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 512-854-1444 or Crime Stoppers at 512-474-TIPS (8477).
His bond has been set at $1 million.
