Sadly authorities believe a Colorado mom became yet another victim at the hands of a former partner. Annette Valdez, 37, the mother of three children, was reportedly last seen on November 28, 2025. Relatives claimed she didn’t return home from Thanksgiving, according to 9 News. Sadly, police found her body stuffed in a garbage can on December 4.
The Colorado 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has charged Anthony Perales, the father of her children, with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and a violation of a protection order/domestic violence, People reported.
Multiple witnesses say they saw Perales, who is homeless, moving a body wrapped in blankets around the area she was discovered, per 9 News. Her brother, Adam Larson, also reportedly told the outlet he heard Perales was seen “pushing her around in a shopping cart to get her from place to place.”
Perales reportedly also was released from jail on November 21, just a few days before the mom went missing and was found dead.
“We’ve tried so much to get her away from him,” Larson told 9 News. “Every single time she went right back [saying,] ‘That’s my kids’ father.’”
“My mom would never leave us,” one of her children told CBS Colorado. “Now matter what. And the fact that she’s gone I just don’t know what to do.”
On the video’s comments, community members and supportive internet strangers offered comforting words.
“What a sad story,” wrote one commenter. “This should be in prison now. He doesn’t deserve a trial. Praying for the young children and her family. May [God] put his hands around them.”
“Rest in peace May God heal those kids,” added another commenter.
A family member started a GoFundMe account to help pay for the mother’s services as well as support her three children.
“Our family is devastated beyond words, struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy,” the description reads. “Annette was a light in our lives—her kindness, laughter, and love touched everyone who knew her. We want to honor her memory by giving her the farewell she deserves, surrounded by those who loved her most.”
One woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by an intimate partner or family member, according to UN Women. Globally 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023, and 60% of those homicides were committed by someone they knew. Data shows that 140 women and girls die every day at the hands of someone they likely love or loved. That translates into roughly one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes. It’s an unfathomable reality, and one we see play out in the news cycle far too often.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women’s shelter (domesticshelters.org).
