'I Killed My Wife': South Toms River Man Told Dispatcher He 'Lost Control', Affidavit Says

SOUTH TOMS RIVER, NJ — A South Toms River man told a 911 dispatcher "I killed my wife" when he called police on Saturday night, after she had been lying on the floor for nearly 20 minutes, according to court documents in the case.

Gustavo Juarez-Perez, 38, also told authorities he had choked Cheyanne Juarez, 30, claiming he "lost control" when she allegedly confessed to having cheated on him, according to the probable cause affidavit.

A female roommate of Cheyanne told authorities that Cheyanne had told her on March 3 that she had broken up with Gustavo, the affidavit said.

Gustavo Juarez-Perez remains in the Ocean County Jail on charges of murder, possession of a weapon, for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon, and additionally is being held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer, according to the Ocean County Corrections website.

Meanwhile, plans for a formal funeral service for Cheyanne have been shelved and a service celebrating her life is set for 7 p.m. Friday, March 14, outside her home on Hummel Drive, according to her friend Rosaura Roustand, who created the GoFundMe campaign to assist Cheyanne's children.

The affidavit says the children — Gustavo's 14-year-old daughter who lived with the couple at least part-time, and the couple's three sons, ages 12, 10 and 3 — were in the home when the argument leading up to Cheyanne's death happened.

Gustavo's daughter said the couple had been together for about 11 years. They had argued in the past, including during the daughter's recent birthday celebration, which ruined her birthday, she said.

"She mentioned that the decedent and the suspect would argue, but it was never this bad," the affidavit said.

Gustavo Juarez-Perez had moved out of the home in early March, the daughter told authorities. He came to the house about 8 p.m. Saturday and took Cheyanne into the bedroom to talk, she said.

The daughter heard the argument begin and heard it escalate, with Cheyanne saying, "it hurts" in Spanish. She took the three younger children into another bedroom where they stayed until police arrived, according to authorities.

None of the children were physically injured.

Authorities also spoke with Gustavo's brother, with whom Gustavo had been staying, and the brother said Gustavo told him he and Cheyanne were having problems. On the day Cheyanne was killed, he lost contact with Gustavo for several hours, and did not hear from him until receiving a text message at 9:18 p.m. where Gustavo wrote, "I killed my wife."

By that time, Gustavo Juarez-Perez had already called 911, according to authorities. He had made a similar statement to the 911 dispatcher, saying "I killed my wife," and when the dispatcher asked if she was conscious, he said, "no, she is dead."

He went on to tell the dispatcher he had hit Cheyanne and used his belt to choke her.

"I lose control," he said, and alleged Cheyanne had cheated on him multiple times and had confessed to doing so. "I was so upset and I lose control."

Authorities searched the home, the vehicles and also seized several electronic devices including Gustavo Juarez-Perez's cell phone. The affidavit does not say what, if any, evidence has been retrieved from the phone.

In the meantime, Cheyanne's family has come from out of state to be with her children, according to Rosaura Roustand, a friend and co-worker who started a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses and help with the three boys.

"Unfortunately, we have not been able to collect enough funds for a proper service. Her sister shared that funeral costs are extremely high — almost $10,000 — so the family has decided to proceed with the most affordable option, cremation," Roustand said in an update on Facebook.

Family and friends will be gathering at 15 Hummel Dr., South Toms River, at 7 p.m. to honor her memory, Roustand wrote. Cheyanne's sister is seeking custody of the three boys, Roustand said, and they will be moving out of state to where the rest of Cheyanne's family, including her father, stepmother and brother, are living.

Donations to assist the boys are still welcomed, Roustand wrote.

Gustavo's daughter is with her mother now, authorities said.

Previous reporting:

• Wife Found With Belt Around Neck, Ocean County Man Charged With Murder: Prosecutor
• Hardworking, Funny, Loving Mom: South Toms River Woman Mourned By Friends, Co-Workers