VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — New court documents are connecting the dots in Virginia Beach homicide and hit-and-run investigations from May.
Ricardo Perez, 22, is in jail and facing three separate charges in connection with the two incidents — murder, hit-and-run and attempted malicious wounding.
Court documents say this breaks down to two separate crime scenes in different parts of Virginia Beach, and a confession in a homicide. The details are in an affidavit for a search warrant for the car police believe Perez was driving at the time of the hit-and-run.
Detectives say it started with a homicide at an apartment off Forest Lake Drive on May 20.
An affidavit says two people entered their apartment and noticed the door forced open and a mess inside.
The paperwork says they found 69-year-old James Edward Heckstall dead with stab wounds.
They immediately called 911.
The affidavit says officers responded and blood, several edged weapons, and multiple injuries were visible.
Sometime later, officers began investigating a hit-and-run at 26th Street and Artic Avenue.
It was discovered that the suspect in the car crash and the man believed to be behind Heckstall’s death was the same man: — 22-year-old Perez.
That same day, Perez was arrested along the boardwalk. Court documents say the evidence against Perez is strong.
Multiple videos show Perez allegedly loading weapons and miscellaneous items into a car.
In these videos, Perez allegedly threatened other unknown individuals and said he was going to kill someone.
Paperwork also says after being read his Miranda rights, Perez confessed to killing Heckstall.
Perez is expected back in court for his preliminary hearing on July 16.
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