Missing Camden Woman Found Dead In Monroe Township
By Diana Rocco
CAMDEN (CBS) – Authorities say that an East Camden mother and wife who had been missing for days has been found dead.
Authorities say that Fatima Perez, 41, was found around 11 a.m. Wednesday.
"It's been the worst two days of my life. Horrible," her sister Vanessa Castro said.
For the family of Fatima Perez the days have felt like years waiting for answers after the 41-year-old mother of two disappeared Monday night from her Camden home.
"My nephew he's only seven so I don't think he can still understand what happened," Castro said.
Wednesday investigators found Perez's body in a shallow grave. Police now say she was kidnapped and killed. Then buried in an open area in Monroe Township near Clayton and Corkery Roads.
"The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation and the manner of death homicide," Camden County Prosecutor Warren W. Faulk said.
Police have two people of interest in custody. Tuesday Perez was believed to be with Ramon Ortiz and Carlos Alicea-Antonetti, a man who may have been mowing her lawn and is known to neighbors.
"A real creepy guy. He went around asking everybody for their grass cut," neighbor Dana Thompson said.
Police say they are no longer in search of the individuals they were seeking in connection with Perez's disappearance.
"If my sister had to fight for her life, the reason that she was fighting for was her kids," Castro said.
Perez moved to Camden from Nicaragua eight years ago. She was a hard worker with a generous heart.
I think a lot of times she was too innocent to judge people. And I think that's the reason why all this happened," Castro said.
Police are not saying who they have in custody, only that two persons of interested are being questioned.