Ruben Anthony Perez

On Monday, December 21, at 11:40 a.m., Fillmore Police received a call from La Flor Bonita owner Brandy Smith about a customer in distress. The woman came into the store looking “agitate, nervous and scared” according to Smith. She gave a note to Smith and said to give it to the police if anything happened to her. She said suspect Ruben Perez, 31, had been holding her hostage for four days, drinking and beating her. Perez was in the car with two young children waiting for the woman to exit. Police reports said the victim was injured and Perez had threatened to kill her. Smith hid the woman in the store’s bathroom and called police. Before they arrived, Perez walked away with the children, but returned and was arrested without incident. It was determined that Perez and the victim live together.

Perez was arrested for 273.5 P.C. Felony Domestic violence, 422 P.C. Felony Criminal threats, and 236 P.C. Felony False imprisonment.