WYOMING, Mich. -- The man who confessed to strangling a Grand Rapids' woman was in court Wednesday, and the judge put in place a no contact order to stop potential witness intimidation.
Raul Perez was in court Wednesday for his probable cause hearing, charged with open murder of Karla Guadalupe-Magana, a mother of five. The last week of October, Perez called his daughter Kimberly confessing to strangling Magana, according to court documents. Then police found Magana's body in her apartment on 44th Street in Wyoming, then found Perez sleeping in bed.
Wednesday the judge postponed the probable cause hearing until next week due to the defense requesting additional evidence and questioning it: the audio/video recording of an earlier police interview in which the defense questions if the officer provided inconsistent Spanish translation.
The prosecutor also said he's been made aware that there have been a "number of concerning communications between relatives of the defendant with relatives of the victim." He asked for a no contact order, which the judge instated, and said if this continues they will seek witness intimidation charges.
Meanwhile, the judge sentenced Perez 12 months' probation without alcohol and fines for an outstanding drunk driving charge, to which Perez said, "I'm sorry for driving drunk. That's all," through his translator Wednesday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) say that Perez was deported twice from the country to Mexico in 2005 and 2008, and has two federal felony convictions for narcotics trafficking and re-entry after deportation.
Court papers show he was convicted in Texas in 2006 or possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 kilograms of marijuana.
Perez is in custody at the Kent County Jail.
