Colo. Woman's Body Was Found Stuffed in Trash Can. Now Her Kids' Dad Faces Murder Charge By Liam Quinn

A Colorado man is accused of murdering the mother of his children — then stuffing her body in the garbage.

According to the Colorado 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Thomas Perales is charged with first-degree murder, violation of a protection order/domestic violence, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

The charges stem from the death of 37-year-old mother-of-three Annette Marie Valdez, according to 9News, CBS News and The Denver Post.

Police said Valdez’s body was found in a Westminster, Colo., park on Dec. 4. The body was discovered in a trash can, according to 9News and Denver7.

Prosecutors said she died between Nov. 28 and Dec. 4. CBS News reported that Valdez had been missing for several days before her body was found.

Perales was arrested on Dec. 5, according to the Westminster Police Department.

9News, citing an affidavit, reported that multiple witnesses said they saw Perales moving a body wrapped in blankets through the area.

The outlet also cited Valdez’s brother, Adam Larson, who reportedly said he heard that Perales, who is homeless, was seen “pushing her around in a shopping cart to get her from place to place.”

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Perales had been released from jail on Nov. 21, two weeks before Valdez’s body was found, per 9News.

Police indicated that Valdez and Perales knew each other, and her family told 9News that they had children together.

“We’ve tried so much to get her away from him,” Larson told the outlet. “Every single time she went right back [saying,] ‘That’s my kids’ father.’”

It is not immediately clear if Perales has retained an attorney or entered a plea.