Johnattan Perez, 31, of Sylmar, California, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the neck on October 27, 2022. His body was discovered in the driver’s seat of a parked car along Angeles Crest Highway at mile marker 27.33, in the forest above La Cañada Flintridge. Deputies had responded to reports of gunshots around 9 p.m. that night. No weapon was found in the vehicle, and Perez had been in contact with family about an hour before he was found.

Perez was a licensed security guard who also held a license to carry a handgun. He was the chief executive officer of JJ’s Accessories, a retail distribution and wholesale business operated out of a Sylmar apartment. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide. Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau say the motive is unknown and no suspects have been identified; the case remains under active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives.