Oscar Cecilio Perez, 35, of Rogers, was arrested April 30 after a lengthy foot pursuit by the Benton County Sheriff's Office. The Bella Vista Police Department, Bentonville Police Department and Arkansas State Police assisted in the pursuit.
The chase ended on U.S. Highway 71 after Perez attempted to jump on the back of a flatbed truck during rush hour traffic, according to an affidavit of probable cause prepared by Sgt. Ralph Bartley with the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
As of Monday, May 7, Perez was being held in the Benton County Jail, suspected of felony fleeing, domestic battering in the third degree and contempt of court. He also is being held in connection with battery in the first degree, possession of a firearm by certain persons, battery in the second degree, kidnapping, aggravated assault, terroristic threatening in the first degree, criminal mischief in the first degree -- all felony charges -- as well as battery in the third degree and contempt of court out of Rogers. Perez is also suspected of violating parole. He has prior felony convictions from 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Perez's court date has been set for June 11 in Benton County Circuit Court. His bond was set at $175,000 for the fleeing charge and a $26,960.21 cash bond for his civil contempt of court charges through the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
According to an affidavit of probable cause prepared by Rogers Police Department Det. Larry Taylor, the search for Perez started when Rogers officers started an investigation into a shooting.
Police spoke with Rogers resident Neryda Gonzalez, who had a gunshot wound to her leg. Initially, Gonzalez gave officers a false name, told them she accidentally shot herself while target practicing in Bella Vista, and fled when they spoke with her father, Antonio Gonzalez, who told police he believed she was shot by her boyfriend, Oscar Perez.
Officers later saw and recognized Neryda Gonzalez while responding to a weapons call on South 8th Street. They arrested Gonzalez in connection with an outstanding warrant, according to the affidavit, and when interviewed, she stated she had lied because she knew she had an arrest warrant.
Gonzalez told police that the on April 7 Perez came to her house and smoked methamphetamine with her. He reportedly had been awake several days and began accusing her of "setting him up" and asked where the cameras were. After she told him there were no cameras, Perez reportedly fired a pistol and broke a mirror before taking her to a closet, hitting her head with the firearm, asking about cameras and threatening to kill her.
Perez made a call and, with another man later identified as Jessee Chavez, 27, of Bentonville, reportedly took Gonzalez to Bella Vista in a gold-colored Ford Expedition and Perez shot her in the leg with a .22 caliber round. According to the affidavit, Gonzalez said she thought he missed initially because she did not feel anything, but her leg started throbbing later.
Chavez was arrested by the Rogers Police Department in connection with kidnapping and battery in the first degree, both felonies.
Gonzalez told police she was taken to a motel in Fayetteville but was not sure where it was. At some point, Perez reportedly threw his phone out the window in Fayetteville because he believed the police were tracking him with it.
Gonzalez woke and Perez was gone, she told police, and an unknown woman drove her to Springdale. She refused to go to the hospital because she had outstanding warrants.
Gonzalez reported getting a call from Perez the same day she was arrested, during which he said he would "finish where he left off," which she believed was a death threat.
While investigating Gonzalez's residence on South 24th Street, police met a neighbor, Kevin Garcia, who showed them photos of facial injuries he reportedly received when Perez mistook him for a law enforcement officer.
Rogers Police Department public information officer Keith Foster said that, prior to the arrest, the sheriff's office received an anonymous tip that someone was being held hostage at 4 Shady Lane in Bella Vista and, when deputies arrived, Perez fled the house on foot.
Because he fled in the general direction of Cooper Elementary, the sheriff's department asked the Bella Vista Police Department to lock down the school.
Bella Vista Capt. Tim Cook said that officers quickly got in place to lock down the school until it became apparent that Perez was not headed that way.
"The main focus was the safety of all people involved, but mainly the safety of personnel at the school," he said. "Our number one job is safety."
According to the affidavit prepared by Sgt. Ralph Bartley with the sheriff's office, Bartley knocked at the Shady Lane house and gave commands with no response. With a possible emergency, Bartley wrote, he kicked down the door and found three people -- two women and a baby.
The woman with the baby, he wrote, had a swollen and bruised left eye and, after he pressed, indicated it was caused by the man who fled -- who both women identified as Oscar Perez. Deputies determined the women were not held at gunpoint.
According to the affidavit, sheriff's office Sgt. Tou Xioung spotted Perez near Lake Bella Vista and began a foot pursuit via the trails, calling out locations along the way.
Eventually, Perez attempted to elude officers by running into rush-hour traffic on U.S. Highway 71, only to give up when it became clear the escape attempt was a failure, according to the affidavit. Deputies arrested Perez on the interstate, just north of its intersection with Benton County Road 40 without any further incidents.
Larry Robertson, CEO of Aon Invent, said the arrest happened right in front of his office. He counted roughly a dozen squad cars, he said, and officers were searching all over the area while others stood at the ready with rifles.
"This has been an interesting week," he said.
General News on 05/09/2018