What appeared to be the scene of a crash involving a taxi quickly turned into a criminal investigation when EMS workers made a shocking discovery.
Now, DeKalb County Police are looking for a person of interest in the shooting death of Zenon Perez.
Det. Doug Paden said they are searching for a man who they believe might have been the victim's last customer on July 14.
The investigation has led officers to retrace the last steps of Perez. They said around 10:50 p.m. that night, he left the Chamblee MARTA Station where he picked up an extra fare, one that he was not dispatched to by his company.
“It appears that the only person that walks toward the taxi stand where Mr. Perez was parked is a black male wearing a book bag," Paden said. "The male gets in on the driver side and sits behind Mr. Perez.”
“We don’t know exactly where he was dropping this gentleman off," he added.
Around 11:18 p.m., law enforcement was dispatched to the Sierra Hills Apartments on Henderson Mill Road for a crash.
“EMS was the first to arrive on the scene," Paden said.
They found Perez slumped over in his taxi. It appeared that he hit a tree and then struck the brick sign outside of the apartment complex.
"They initially thought it was just a crash," Paden explained. "That’s what it was looked liked.”
“When EMS pulled him from the vehicle they notice he had been shot," he said.
Police said a bullet went through his left arm and then went through his chest, killing him. Perez died at the scene.
The Chamblee Marta station is about four and a half miles from where the crash happened.
“We don’t know what route he took," Paden said.
Officers released surveillance photos of the man seen at the Chamblee MARTA station that night. They are hoping someone identifies him.
“As far as what happened, did he stop to let the fare out? Was the fare inside there when it crashed? That’s just questions we cannot answer at this time," Paden said.
"We don't know if he is the person that shot Mr. Perez, but we feel that he could possibly answer some of our questions."
At this point, the motive is also unclear. They don't believe anything was missing from the victim.
"He had cash on him," he said. “There was no evidence that his pockets were turned inside out."
As for the victim, police said he was from Mexico and was building a house there. They also said he visited his home country just a couple of day before the deadly shooting.
Police have been in touch with two of the victim's brothers who live in metro Atlanta.
DeKalb Police is asking anyone with information on the identity of the person of interest to contact the DeKalb County Police Department at 770-724-7850 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS(8477).
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