Gladys Perez was the mother of 3-year-old Crystal Figueroa, the Las Vegas Baby Jane Doe.

Wanted For:

• Murder
  Las Vegas , NV

Latest Airing:

• January 27 2006
• January 21 2006

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Las Vegas Rallies Around Unidentified Toddler

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This is an actual photo of the little girl police are calling "Jane Cordova Doe." The photo has only been slightly altered.

The community of Las Vegas, Nevada is in the throes of a heartbreaking mystery.  It all began on January 12, 2006 when police responded to a call that a 3-to-4-year-old girl had been found dead in a dumpster outside an apartment complex on the city's east side.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Abuse and Neglect investigators say the victim had black, curly, shoulder length hair. Cops say the girl was wrapped in a blue blanket and wore a light blue sleeveless shirt, a white fleece jacket with red hearts on it, light purple jogging pants with yellow ties around the waist and ankles, and light pink, knit tights. 

Cops note that she was nicely groomed and showed no outward sign of injury. But upon examination, they believe that she was killed by blunt force trauma, meaning she could've been punched or thrown against a wall. Police also note that although her body was found in Las Vegas, she could be from anywhere. Also, they say she could be Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Filipino or from some other ethnic background.

Police are calling the little girl "Jane Cordova Doe," after the apartment complex where she was found. Upon finding the body, cops canvassed every home and apartment within a square-mile trying to find someone who knew the little girl.  Police also note that the dumpster was not gated and therefore anyone driving by would have access to it.

Despite an outpouring of help and support from the community in generating leads, police are concerned that time may be running out. But people in the community have continued to show their support by contributing nearly $50,000 for a reward leading to the killer's arrest and conviction. There was also a memorial service held in the little girl's honor on January 22 in Las Vegas.

Mom And Boyfriend Arrested In Baby Doe Slaying

Crystal Figueroa, the Las Vegas Baby Jane Doe.
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Cops in Las Vegas are calling the arrest of Gladys Perez and her boyfriend, Mark Anthony Colon, a lucky break.  The mother of Baby Jane "Cordova" Doe and her boyfriend were in police custody on February 23, 2006.  Las Vegas police are pointing to some sharp detective work in Tulare County, Calif., where Perez lives, as a chief component of the capture.

Cops say that Perez, Colon, and their four kids were traveling from California to Minnesota to visit their grandmother.  Police say that things went wrong when they stopped in Las Vegas for the evening. 

While cops don't know exactly what happened, they say that Colon repeatedly beat one of the little girls.  When Perez tried to take the little girl to a hospital, Colon stopped her saying that he had a warrant out for another child abuse related crime.

Police say that without medical attention, the girl eventually died of wounds inflicted from the beatings.  At that point Colon and Perez left the body in a Las Vegas dumpster.  They ditched their plans of going to Minnesota and instead fled to Oregon, with the other three children in tow.

Eventually, cops say Perez and Colon went their separate ways, Perez returning to California with her 7-year-old and Colon going on to St. Paul, Minnesota with his two children.

The Lucky Break

Police say that the little girl's grandmother was the catalyst in uncovering the identity of the killers.  Reportedly, she called time and time again over a period of time and was never allowed to speak with her granddaughter.  Eventually, she realized something was terribly wrong and called the police.

Luckily, the detectives she called were able to identify her granddaughter as Baby Jane "Cordova" Doe.  When Tulare County, Calif., cops called Las Vegas police, it was only a matter of time before they had Perez and Colon in custody.

America's Most Wanted featured the story multiple times and cops say that the show's involvement generated more than a thousand leads.