• A man in California convicted of killing five of his infant children over several years
• Authorities used DNA to confirm his connection to the crimes

A jury in Northern California found Paul Allen Perez guilty of killing five of his infant children in a case spanning decades and multiple counties.

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office said the 63-year-old Perez was found guilty on multiple counts of murder, as well as one count of assault on a child under eight with force likely to cause great bodily injury resulting in death. Jurors also upheld a sentencing enhancement for multiple murders.

The conviction relates to the deaths of Perez’s infant children between 1992 and 2001.

The case came to light after the remains of one child were discovered in 2007, placed inside a cooler and submerged in Conway Slough, east of Woodland. Investigators determined the child’s death was a homicide and preserved DNA evidence from the remains.

Years later, familial DNA analysis identified Perez as the child’s biological father, ultimately linking him to the deaths of several children born in different parts of California, including Merced and Fresno.

Investigators confirmed all the children were believed to be under six months old at the time of their deaths.

The child found in 2007 was identified as Nikko Lee Perez, born in 1996 in Fresno, while the other four children were Kato Allen Perez (1992 in Merced), Mika Alena Perez (1995 in Merced), Nikko Lee Perez (1997 in Fresno), and Kato Krow Perez (2001 in Fresno).