Felix Perez: NYC man kills partner with hammer, says it felt like ‘a dream’ after 'years of abuse'
Warning: The article contains graphic content which can be triggering to some readers. Discretion is advised
BRONX, NEW YORK CITY: A 37-year-old man, identified as Andre Huertas, died in his NYCHA apartment that he shared with his 49-year-old boyfriend and suspect, Felix Perez. Investigators recovered a bloody hammer from the crime scene, which was reported by Perez on Saturday, September 24, around 12.45 pm via a 911 call. Following this, on September 25, the boyfriend got arrested and was charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.
According to NY Post, Perez called 911 for medical help, telling the dispatcher that he had attacked Huertas. When police arrived, they found Huertas dead from trauma to his head and body in the Adams Houses on E 152nd St near Concord Avenue. Surveillance footage showed Perez leaving the crime scene shortly after the 911 call. However, police found Perez inside the Prospect Avenue subway stop in a distressed condition just 15 minutes following the discovery of Huertas' dead body. He told responders he wanted to kill himself. He was later taken to Lincoln Hospital for treatment where he requested for a lawyer when police tried to question him over Huertas’ death. The next day, he got arrested on murder charges based on evidence and a conversation Perez had with his mother via texts mentioning that he had done something horrible, reports the outlet.
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According to sources, as reported by NY Post, Perez said "the assault was the result of years of abuse and that it felt like a dream."
Commenting on it, one of their neighbors, Crystal Rivera, 31, told, the couple were known to argue. She said, as quoted by Daily News, "Maybe every other month. At one point [it] started to get really really bad. I think they got into a really bad dispute. Looked like the [partner] was miserable.” However, the neighbor couldn’t speculate on who killed the victim.
“He had a lot of [people] in and out of his crib. There was a guy who had keys to his house,” she said and added that she heard someone banging on the victim’s door one day last week, but didn’t know what it was all about. "I’m in shock. No banging, no stuff getting thrown. I’m spooked. It’s really sad,” she said and further added that Huertas suffered from diabetes and received disability assistance. "He was really nice, help anybody. Clean up the building. He was resourceful. Good community man,” she concluded.