Marinera Dance Champion Found Dead in Home; Friends Suspected

The lifeless body of José Antonio Pérez, a 53-year-old marinera dance champion, was discovered in his Independencia home on Wednesday, June 24, two days after he was reported missing. Pérez exhibited visible signs of violence, including bruising on his arms, and was found semi-nude.

Family members became concerned after losing contact with Pérez and, alerted by a friend, went to his residence. Finding the house locked but detecting a suspicious odor, they contacted the Peruvian National Police (PNP). Officers assisted the family in gaining entry, where they discovered Pérez's body.

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The biggest alert for us is a good friend of my uncle, who comes looking for him. He told us that since Monday, he has had no communication with him; he has knocked insistently on his door and no one answered. That's when he notified my mother. We tried to enter his home. It was locked, but through the window, we realized there was a person; that's when we decided to go to the police.

According to a nephew of the victim, a close friend of Pérez's had alerted them to the lack of communication since Monday. This friend had repeatedly tried to contact Pérez before notifying the family. Upon entering the home, they observed a person through a window, prompting their call to the police.

Security camera footage shows four friends of Pérez arriving at his home on the night he disappeared. However, the family's suspicion is particularly focused on one individual who left the residence around 4:30 a.m. with a backpack. This person is believed to have taken Pérez's phone, wallet, and home router. The family also noted that the door was locked from the outside, suggesting a deliberate attempt to delay the discovery of the body.

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What makes us suspicious first is that they took the cell phone, the wallet, and the router modem from the house. Another indication is that there was another person inside and that this fourth person is the one who went up because they left with a backpack full of things. In the end, they left the door locked. The Public Ministry official first told me that perhaps my uncle went up and left the door ajar, but that is not the case: they locked it.