2 Men Charged With Murder In Death Of 20-Year-Old: Stamford PD

STAMFORD, CT — Two men who were previously charged in connection with the death of a 20-year-old who was found dead in the South End of Stamford on Oct. 18, 2023, now face murder charges, according to the Stamford Police Department.

Orlando Gomez-Perez, now 18, and Juan Carlos Perez-Perez, 25, were charged last fall with first-degree assault after police say they confessed to being involved in the death of Modesto Santiago-Gomez.

After a lengthy investigation, police have upgraded the charges to include murder, conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence, a news release from the SPD said Wednesday morning.

Gomez-Perez and Perez-Perez were given court-set bonds of $2 million. They appeared in Stamford Superior Court on Tuesday and Wednesday where they were served with arrest warrants, police said. They remain in custody.

Shortly after 2 a.m., on Oct. 18, 2023, police received a 911 call from a person who reported a man, later identified as Santiago-Gomez, lying on his back on the grassy area near the pathway that connects Woodland Avenue and Walter Wheeler Drive, police said.

Citing an arrest warrant, the Stamford Advocate noted Santiago-Gomez had "significant amount of trauma to his face, which was covered in blood." There was also blood found on the grass nearby and on a metal fence near Santiago-Gomez's body.

Stamford fire and EMS personnel responded and pronounced Santiago-Gomez dead at the scene.

Gomez-Perez and Perez-Perez were seen walking away from the area where the body was found, the Stamford Advocate reported, noting that police found a baseball cap near the scene similar to one Perez-Perez had been wearing.

A police interview with an acquaintance of the two men also helped link them to Santiago-Gomez, the Advocate said, referring to an arrest warrant.

Santiago-Gomez, who was from Guatemala, was believed to not have a permanent address, police said at the time.

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