The Willow Glen Resident

Brother of slain youth dies one month later

According to the police and coroner, 14-year-old took his own life

By Christine Frey

In a tragic sequel to the incident which has shaken Willow Glen, the younger brother of the recently murdered Oscar Perez Jr. was found dead Sunday morning from what appeared to be a suicide, said Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Sgt. Jim Arata.

Fourteen-year-old David Perez hung himself at the Adolescent Residential Treatment Center, an in-patient facility in San Jose for disturbed children. Family members say Perez was being treated there for attention deficit disorder.

According to the coroner's report, David Perez was discovered at 8:15 a.m. on Sunday July 12, when two of the center's day staff members stopped by David's room on a routine check. He was found hanging from his closet by a noose, made from towels, that had been wrapped around his neck.

The 911 call made a minute later was responded to by paramedics, the San Jose Fire Department, three deputies and a sergeant. Paramedics pronounced David dead on the scene.

Preliminary police investigations confirm that suicide was the cause of death, said Arata.

"Everything appeared consistent. There was no evidence of foul play."

According to the coroner's report, no suicide notes were found.

Family members believe David's suicide was prompted by his brother's death, said Rene Perez, the boys' uncle. The Thursday before his suicide, David attended court and saw the two men arrested for Oscar's murder. Now David will be buried alongside his brother, in the double burial plot his mother purchased just weeks ago.

Family members feel that perhaps something could have been done to prevent this tragedy. "We have a lot of unanswered questions," Rene Perez said. He questioned why David wasn't watched more closely at the ARC.

But despite all the questions, one fact remains certain: Adela Perez's two oldest sons are dead. David's suicide followed the June 13 murder of Oscar almost to the month.

According to the coroner's report, upon hearing of her son's death, Adela Perez cried out, "David, you promised me you wouldn't do this."

David spent his last evening with his family. According to the coroner's report, his mother, Adela, returned him to the center around 9:45 p.m. Saturday. A night staff member checked on him at 11 p.m. No problems were reported.

David had been a residential patient at the ARC since June 10. According to the coroner's report, he had a history of mental problems and was taking antidepressant medication.

Mary Williams, the CEO of Alliance for Community Care, sounded distraught the day after the suicide. "We're doing everything possible to ensure that everyone involved is getting their needs met. It's just a terrible tragedy and we're doing a lot of things to make sure that everyone's needs are being taken care of," she said.

Williams said there have been no other suicides at the 29-year-old facility. The director of the east San Jose center was unavailable for comment.

Cecily Barnes contributed to this report.

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