A suspect in the homicide of a woman found on the on-ramp of a freeway in Escondido has been arrested in Las Vegas.
Representatives of the Escondido Police Department Tuesday afternoon gave the media an update on the murder case of Elizabeth Antonette Perez, 38, who was shot on June 13 in her car and discovered about 1:10 p.m. on the on-ramp to northbound I-15 from El Norte Pkwy
Giving the briefing were Lt. Ed Varso and Lt. Justin Murphy of the Escondido Police Department.
What began as a suspicious death case was later determined to be a homicide. Evidence indicates that the victim, Elizabeth Antoinette Perez (a 38 year old resident of Fontana) was shot to death.
Varso and Murphy revealed that the Escondido PD sent detectives to Las Vegas to assist Las Vegas authorities and do the groundwork. The detectives are still in Las Vegas.
Lt. Murphy revealed that Long has a prior criminal record although they didn’t go into details.
Long was found in a car with a companion. Police wouldn’t say whether the person was a man or a woman. That companion, a resident of Las Vegas, has been not connected with the case and will not be prosecuted or arrested.
Long has been charged with first- degree premeditated murder. He faces 25 years to life. He has waived his extradition rights. He is expected back in San Diego county in a matter of days.
The Times-Advocate asked Lt. Murphy where Long would be sent to. He said he would probably be sent to Vista jail and prosecuted in North County.
The family of the deceased was at the press conference. There were six adults, ranging in age from 20s to 50s. They declined to speak to the media.
One reporter asked repeated how many times the victim was shot. He limited himself to saying that Perez was shot in the head, and that the shattered glass indicated she was shot through the window. He cited the ongoing investigation as the reason for not elaborating.
On Monday, June 13, at about 1:10 p.m. California Highway Patrol, Escondido Police, and Escondido Fire personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive woman in a vehicle on the on-ramp to northbound I-15 from El Norte Pkwy.
Escondido Fire Department personnel arrived and determined that the woman was deceased. The deceased had a head injury and was seated in the driver seat of the vehicle. The front driver and passenger side windows of the black Mercury Sable were shattered.
As the investigation continued, information was obtained indicating that Perez’s boyfriend, Edward Andrew Long (a 38 year old resident of San Marcos), was a person of interest in the homicide.
EPD detectives served a search warrant at Long’s residence in San Marcos where several items were seized. Varso said that the evidence found inside Long’s residence was “vital” to them making Long a person of interest. This caused them to put out the crime bulletin that was shared with other law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, Long’s identifying information and vehicles associated with him were entered into law enforcement databases. On Tuesday June 21, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle occupied by Edward Long.
Edward Long has been arrested in Las Vegas on murder charges in connection with the death of Elizabeth Perez. Long is currently in a jail in Las Vegas, NV.
Even though an arrest has been made, there is still a significant amount of work that needs to be completed. Specific details about this investigation, including; evidence seized, the existence of any statements, and possible motives will not be released at this time by the authorities.
During the press conference Varso thanked the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for the critical role they played in bringing an arrest in this case.
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