Reagan High School teacher murdered
HOUSTON—Several Reagan High School students wore black Monday morning to mourn the loss of a popular Spanish teacher, Heladio Perales.
"When I found out about it, I didn’t believe it," said Javier Noyola, one of Perales’ former students. "He was such a peaceful person."
The body of the 35-year old Perales was discovered on Thanksgiving Day. A farmer found the teacher’s SUV near Needville in Fort Bend County. His body was later discovered underneath a tarp in the back of the truck.
Investigators said Perales was stabbed several times.
Although the vehicle was found near Needville, investigators believe Perales may have been murdered in Wharton.
Investigators discovered blood inside a home there and marked off the residence as a crime scene.
They are still hunting for three "persons of interest" in the crime.
Grief counselors arrived on campus Monday to help students cope with the loss. Students said the news spread quickly over the weekend through text messages and social media Web sites.
"He was a real good teacher," added Noyola. "Real nice. Always helping out the kids."
Perales lived by himself in Galena Park. His family reported him missing last week after the fourth-year teacher failed to show up for his job at Reagan High.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Galena Park Police Department and the Texas Rangers, are participating in the investigation.
"It’s a hard thing to think about when you see a teacher almost every day, or every other day, and to think that something happened to them," said Krystal Rios, also a Reagan student.
