Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault

Man Pleads Guilty to Repeatedly Beating, Stabbing Live-in Girlfriend in Late 2024

NORFOLK, Va. — William Alexander Perez, 22, pleaded guilty on Oct. 21 to two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of malicious wounding, and one count of sexual battery, all of which he committed in 2024 against his girlfriend with whom he briefly lived until she escaped his abuse.

Mr. Perez and the victim met in September 2024, when the victim was suffering from both mental illness and housing instability. Mr. Perez offered to allow her to move in with him, after which point they began an intimate relationship. Between November and December of 2024, Mr. Perez would routinely punch the victim in her face and body and recorded some of the beatings on his phone. In some of the video recordings, Mr. Perez would pose questions to the victim and hit or stab her for not answering him to his satisfaction. In one of the videos, Mr. Perez forced the victim to say goodbye to her family and friends as he assaulted her.

Mr. Perez broke the victim’s nose during one assault and attempted to correct it himself. After the victim had received stitches to repair her lip from another beating, Mr. Perez beat her again so viciously that the stitches ripped and caused further scarring. In one incident, Mr. Perez cut the victim with a knife on her thighs, arms, neck and forehead, on which there remains a prominent scar. The victim also suffered defensive stab wounds to her hands during that assault. In another beating, Mr. Perez broke the victim’s nose again (this time causing impairment to her breathing), broke her ribs, and strangled her to the point of causing her to have a seizure. Mr. Perez also initiated sex on numerous occasions with the victim, who was unable to consent due to the constant threat of harm she faced from Mr. Perez if she did or said anything to which he disagreed.

In late December 2024, the victim escaped from their shared home with the help of a family member, and Mr. Perez reported her as a missing person to Norfolk Police. While the victim was in hiding, she reported Mr. Perez’s abuse to the police. Drawing a connection between the two reports, detectives arranged to meet with Mr. Perez under the guise of investigating his missing person report, and he was taken into custody when he arrived at the Police Operations Center in early January 2025.

On Oct. 21, Mr. Perez entered an agreement to plead guilty to two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of malicious wounding, and one count of sexual battery and to face an active sentence to be determined at the sole discretion of the judge. Mr. Perez faces up to life in prison for his crimes, though Virginia’s discretionary sentencing guidelines will recommend a sentence for a term of years. In exchange for his guilty pleas, the Commonwealth agreed to withdraw additional related charges. Judge David W. Lannetti accepted Mr. Perez’s plea agreement, found him guilty of those charges, and set his sentencing hearing on Jan. 16, 2026.

“Mr. Perez’s abuse of this vulnerable victim — and his recording of his abuse — is shocking in its duration and severity,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “I am grateful to the family of the survivor of these crimes, who helped the survivor escape, and I am grateful to the survivor for her courage in helping us hold Mr. Perez accountable for his incredible abuse. At sentencing we will seek a sanction that reflects the severity of Mr. Perez’s behavior and the danger he poses to the community.”

Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michelle L. Newkirk and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jessica L. Terkovich are prosecuting Mr. Perez’s case, and former Norfolk Police Detective Jennifer M. Baron led the investigation.

If you and/or someone you love are a victim of a crime — including but not limited to domestic violence — resources are available at the Norfolk Family Justice Center. For more information, please visit norfolkfjc.org, call 757-330-0376, or stop by the NFJC located at 835 Glenrock Road, Suite 100, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. If you are in crisis, call the 24/7 hotline by dialing 757-251-0144. In an emergency, please call 911.

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