Mich. murder suspect arrested

Man sought in 2 deaths found in Georgetown with 2 daughters

A Los Angeles manwanted in a nationwide manhunt after the murder in southwest Michigan of his wife and her father and the kidnapping of his two young daughters was captured in Georgetown early Friday as he was apparently sleeping in his car.

The bodies of Renee Adrienne Mitchell, 27, and John Albert Mitchell, 67, were found in the two- story home where they lived with her two daughters, ages 3 and 4, near the small town of Coloma, said Detective Sgt. Fabian Suarez of the Michigan State Patrol.

Deputy Paul Osckel of the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alex Perez, 24, after a brief struggle just after 1 a. m. in Georgetown. He had pulled over in his car andwas apparently sleeping.

“Itwas damn good policework on the part of Deputy Osckel,” Suarez said. “The credit for the arrest goes to him.”

Perez and Renee Mitchell’s two daughters are in the care of protective services, according to a news release by Tom Dale, chief dispatcher of the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office.

Perez is in jail in Clear Creek County awaiting extradition back to Michigan, Suarez said.

A female family member had gone to the Mitchell home, at 6441 M- 63 North Highway, between 10 and 10: 30 p. m. Thursday after John Mitchell hadn’t shown up atwork, Suarez said. The relative found the two bodies.

Suarez said Perez had traveled from his home in Los Angeles to Michigan the first part of the week. Investigators believe he killed his common- law wife and her father between 7 and 10 p. m. Wednesday and stole her 2003 Chevrolet Impala.

“Speed was a priority ( for investigators). We believe he had a good day head start,” Suarez said.

The Michigan State Patrol issued an Amber Alert late Thursday, notifying law enforcement across the country that they believed Perez was headed back to Los Angeles, he said.

Perez drove about 1,100 miles to Georgetown, about 45 miles west of Denver.

Osckel spotted a vehicle with its lights on and engine running at 1: 09 a. m., Dale said.

Osckel saw a man in the driver’s seat and two young children in the passenger seat. Osckel radioed dispatch about the suspicious vehicle and gave its license plate and location.

During Perez’s arrest, he briefly put up a fight, but no one was injured, Dale said.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office is working with Michigan State Patrol in the investigation. Perez has a lengthy violent criminal record in Michigan, including arrests for home invasion and assault with a deadly weapon, Suarez said.

“A lot of the arrests,” he said, “are for domestic violence.”