On May 10, 2023, at about 4:40 p.m., officers responded to reports of an assault near Western Avenue and Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim and found 35-year-old Juan Leon in the 3200 block of West Cabot Drive with at least one gunshot wound. Leon was taken to a local hospital and later died of his injuries.

Detectives identified 36-year-old Paul Perez, described as transient, as the primary suspect. Perez has a lengthy criminal history that includes recent guilty pleas in January 2023 for possession of a controlled substance while armed and carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in public, earlier drug convictions in 2018, and various misdemeanors in 2021. He was located and arrested in Norwalk on May 13, 2023, and charged with murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm; charges include enhancements for discharge of a firearm causing death and personal use of a firearm. Perez is held without bail.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive or the nature of any relationship between Leon and Perez. If anyone has information about the shooting, contact the Anaheim Police Department or Orange County Crime Stoppers.