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Mexican "Justice"
BROWN: Four years ago tomorrow, a devoted father name Carlos Vara was shot and killed by his son-in-law at his home in suburban Los Angeles. Tonight, for all we know, he's sitting free watching this program on TV in Mexico. Police both here and there know where he is. He need not fear them. And he is not alone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN (voice-over): It was late on a spring afternoon four years ago, not far from this gas station just south of downtown Los Angeles.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OPERATOR: 911.
ANNABELLA VARA, VICTIM: Yes. I need help.
OPERATOR: Where are you?
VARA: I'm on the street. I'm driving behind my husband. And he has a gun.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BROWN: Annabella Perez was in her car following her husband, Daniel. But from her cell phone, she told police, he suddenly maneuvered in back of her.
ANNABELLA VARA, VICTIM: He's banging my car. He's on the side of me trying to run me off the road.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OPERATOR: Where are you, ma'am?
VARA: Please hurry. Oh, my God. Hurry. Hurry.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BROWN: That 911 call was transferred to three different police agencies. And by the time squad cars from Southgate Police arrived at the gas station, Daniel Perez, they say, had shot his wife in the head, leaving her for dead. It was three hours later when police finally found him.
JAN MAURIZI, ASST. DA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: Daniel Perez was arrested. And he was charged with the attempted murder on Annabella. And the case went through the normal procedures, preliminary hearing. It went to trial rather quickly.
BROWN: The day before closing arguments, Annabella's father, Carlos Vara, testified that Daniel had telephoned him after the shooting, trying to establish an alibi that would exonerate him.
That very night, police say, Daniel Perez came to his shot and shot Annabella's father to death. VARA: Daniel entered the house. And my dad pretty much confronted him. And he took like seven bullets, I believe. I'm not sure, but one to the head. That is what killed him. And he died instantly.
BROWN: The next day, Daniel Perez was convicted in absentia of attempted murder of Annabella and sentenced to life in prison. He was then charged with the murder of Carlos Vara, but he had fled. Police are convinced he went to Mexico to a village north of Mexico City.
MAURIZI: There is no justice for Annabella right now. It's a perfect example of what happens when you have a double system of justice.
BROWN: A double system because, even though Mexican authorities know where Daniel Perez is living and even though American authorities know as well, he cannot be extradited. Mexican law prevents it because Daniel Perez was convicted in absentia and is subject to the death penalty in the United States because of the murder of Carlos Vara.
MAURIZI: At this point in time, we are completely unable to secure his return, to get him back here, so that he can serve the sentence that he was given, so that he can stand trial for the murder of Annabella's father.
BROWN: And if you think this case is unique, would you be wrong.
MAURIZI: I know of, just in L.A. County, 150 cases where the fugitives have fled to Mexico, where we have verified that they're in Mexico and actually warrants have been issued for their arrest in Mexico. That doesn't account for what could be thousands of other cases where warrants have been issued and we don't know where those fugitives are.
BROWN: Mexican officials say nothing will change unless life-in- prison sentences are changed and the death penalty is taken off the table.
As an alternative, the Mexican government has offered trials in Mexican courts, maximum sentence, 60 years. For Annabella Vara, that's not enough.
VARA: It's a bigger picture now. It's not just my case. It is changing something that will benefit all of us. So I'm willing to fight for that and for my dad. I know that, if it would have been me that day on April 9, my dad would be sitting here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN (voice-over): It was late on a spring afternoon four years ago, not far from this gas station just south of downtown Los Angeles.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OPERATOR: 911.
ANNABELLA VARA, VICTIM: Yes. I need help.
OPERATOR: Where are you?
VARA: I'm on the street. I'm driving behind my husband. And he has a gun.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BROWN: Annabella Perez was in her car following her husband, Daniel. But from her cell phone, she told police, he suddenly maneuvered in back of her.
ANNABELLA VARA, VICTIM: He's banging my car. He's on the side of me trying to run me off the road.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OPERATOR: Where are you, ma'am?
VARA: Please hurry. Oh, my God. Hurry. Hurry.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BROWN: That 911 call was transferred to three different police agencies. And by the time squad cars from Southgate Police arrived at the gas station, Daniel Perez, they say, had shot his wife in the head, leaving her for dead. It was three hours later when police finally found him.
JAN MAURIZI, ASST. DA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: Daniel Perez was arrested. And he was charged with the attempted murder on Annabella. And the case went through the normal procedures, preliminary hearing. It went to trial rather quickly.
BROWN: The day before closing arguments, Annabella's father, Carlos Vara, testified that Daniel had telephoned him after the shooting, trying to establish an alibi that would exonerate him.
That very night, police say, Daniel Perez came to his shot and shot Annabella's father to death. VARA: Daniel entered the house. And my dad pretty much confronted him. And he took like seven bullets, I believe. I'm not sure, but one to the head. That is what killed him. And he died instantly.
BROWN: The next day, Daniel Perez was convicted in absentia of attempted murder of Annabella and sentenced to life in prison. He was then charged with the murder of Carlos Vara, but he had fled. Police are convinced he went to Mexico to a village north of Mexico City.
MAURIZI: There is no justice for Annabella right now. It's a perfect example of what happens when you have a double system of justice.
BROWN: A double system because, even though Mexican authorities know where Daniel Perez is living and even though American authorities know as well, he cannot be extradited. Mexican law prevents it because Daniel Perez was convicted in absentia and is subject to the death penalty in the United States because of the murder of Carlos Vara.
MAURIZI: At this point in time, we are completely unable to secure his return, to get him back here, so that he can serve the sentence that he was given, so that he can stand trial for the murder of Annabella's father.
BROWN: And if you think this case is unique, would you be wrong.
MAURIZI: I know of, just in L.A. County, 150 cases where the fugitives have fled to Mexico, where we have verified that they're in Mexico and actually warrants have been issued for their arrest in Mexico. That doesn't account for what could be thousands of other cases where warrants have been issued and we don't know where those fugitives are.
BROWN: Mexican officials say nothing will change unless life-in- prison sentences are changed and the death penalty is taken off the table.
As an alternative, the Mexican government has offered trials in Mexican courts, maximum sentence, 60 years. For Annabella Vara, that's not enough.
VARA: It's a bigger picture now. It's not just my case. It is changing something that will benefit all of us. So I'm willing to fight for that and for my dad. I know that, if it would have been me that day on April 9, my dad would be sitting here.
Send that bounty hunter in to whack him upside the head and drag him back to LA.
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