Homestead Cop Suspended for Pursuing Romantic Relationship With Case Subject

"Tired 😆 got those 💋 of yours on my mind 😉," reads one of the nearly 500 text messages Homestead police detective Pedro "Pete" Perez exchanged last year with a woman whose restraining-order case he was investigating. 

After he was assigned to the case, which involved an injunction against the woman's ex-boyfriend, in June 2023, Perez developed a romantic interest in the woman and pursued a relationship with her. He arrested the ex-boyfriend, Julio Trejo, a month later, on charges of aggravated stalking and violating a temporary injunction.

Trejo was accused of contacting the ex-girlfriend from an unknown number and driving past her house. He denied the latter allegation.

Months after his arrest, Trejo discovered some of the romantic text messages on his son's Apple Watch, which had once belonged to his ex. As New Times reported in April of this year, Trejo filed a complaint with the department over his arrest and Perez's behavior, questioning whether the arrest was related to the detective's romantic pursuit.

"It wouldn't sit right with anyone, knowing that you got arrested by this man and then this comes to light," Trejo told New Times at the time.

Following a five-month investigation, the department found that Perez had exhibited conduct unbecoming of an officer and violated policies related to professional duty and telephone use. He was suspended without pay for three days and reassigned to uniform patrol.

Owing to Perez's misconduct in the case and the woman's unwillingness to cooperate, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office did not pursue the charges against Trejo even though prosecutors and the police department believed there was probable cause for Trejo's arrest.

"Detective Perez [had] poor judgment, which resulted in the violation of the below policies, causing the partial responsibility of the criminal case being dismissed, in addition to tarnishing the positive reputation that this police department has built in the community over the years," Homestead Police Col. Scott Kennedy wrote in a memo to Chief Alexander Rolle.

According to the internal affairs report obtained by New Times, Perez and Trejo's ex exchanged 476 text messages on his department-issued cellphone from June 27 through July 10, 2023. The messages appear to indicate that the pair had been texting before the officer switched to his work phone. Many of the messages were romantic in tone, including instances where Perez referred to a kiss they'd shared.

"I think next time, ain't even gonna mention the kiss and just kiss you," Perez wrote. "Thoughts? Blink once for yes and twice for no."

Also included in the texts were inquiries about Trejo's behavior and when she would like Perez to go "get him." At one point, he texted, "What a scumbag."

"So, do you want me to try to get him before next Friday?" Perez asked on July 5.

The woman, who noted that she was already going through a lot, eventually told Perez they should keep things platonic, given that he was married. He had asked if he could spend time with her over the weekend.

"I guess I was just chasing something that wasn't there. It's my bad," Perez texted on July 10. 

When Perez was interviewed in the course of the internal affairs investigation, he said he met with the woman on a few occasions, but only on his lunch break if he was on duty. He said he handled Trejo's investigation professionally and was able to separate it from the personal relationship that developed.

In response to questions about text messages in which he discussed detaining Trejo during a court appearance, Perez insisted that arresting subjects during court hearings is common practice. The detective reiterated that he "[built] a rapport" with the woman because she said she was fearful and sought advice on how to proceed.

"With domestic cases, a lot of times you need to build a rapport with a victim, and it becomes difficult because they, man or woman, are going through a lot of emotional things that they need to share and need to get advice and what course of action they should take," he said in his interview.

Although Capt. Fernando Morales ruled that Perez had violated department policies, he added that he did not find evidence in the text messages to validate Trejo's claim that he was "set up." (Trejo had noted that Perez owned a Chevy Tahoe similar to his own, indicating that it may have been Perez's vehicle, and not Trejo's, that was seen driving past his ex's house.)

In a statement in response to the outcome of the investigation, Perez said he "respectfully disagrees with the severity of the discipline being recommended" and felt his actions neither warranted a job reassignment nor amounted to conduct unbecoming of an officer. In a statement to the chief, he said he conducted a "thorough, complete, and unbiased investigation" and "assisted the victim in every way possible."

He contended that the punishment was influenced by comments Trejo posted on social media.

"I have always treated my job tasks as a detective with the utmost respect and feel my actions in this case were no different," Perez stated. "I understand and recognize, however, how the optics of these circumstances may not appear flattering to some, but I do feel that they in no way overshadow or influenced the course or outcome of the investigation."

Perez, who was a detective in the general investigation unit, has worked for the Homestead Police Department since October 2005, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. New Times has received other alleged reports of Perez having acted inappropriately with victims he met during domestic-violence investigations.

"There's a helpful aspect of, 'Don't worry, if your boyfriend does something, reach out to me,' which is what he told her," Trejo told New Times back in April. "He is coming off as this very helpful guy, which is BS. He just wants to get in her pants."