A Florida nurse has been accused of fatally beating a former co-worker, allegedly after trying to create a romantic atmosphere for her birthday, as reported by authorities and legal documents.
Rene Perez, 38, was taken into custody on Tuesday in Miami, almost 18 months after the assault on Linda Campitelli, a married mother, which occurred in October 2024. The incident left her with severe injuries, including skull and rib fractures.
Perez is facing charges of first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and tampering with evidence. Details from the arrest affidavit indicate that he and Campitelli had been engaged in an affair for about two years, having met while working at Wellington Regional Medical Center.
On the eve of their meeting, Campitelli reportedly sent a WhatsApp message to Perez expressing nervousness about the planned birthday celebration. She wrote, “I love you. I feel kind of weird. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. You’ve never done anything like this to me before, and I’m a little nervous.”
Perez replied, assuring her he wanted to show her a romantic side. “LOL, no big deal. Just trying to show you that I can be romantic. It probably won’t be as good as what you did for me,” he texted back.
That night, Campitelli left home dressed in a red dress and black heels, telling her husband, John, she was dining with a friend. Her vehicle was later traced to the Retina Group building in Wellington, where Perez had previously worked.
Perez had reportedly prepared for their encounter by placing a blanket with a birthday message and a medical sheet in the back of her vehicle, apparently to mask any smells.
At around 10:20 p.m., her dismembered body was discovered 50 feet from her car after multiple 911 calls reported an unresponsive woman. The autopsy revealed she had suffered blunt force trauma, lacerations to her scalp, and significant blood loss.
Evidence indicated possible attempts to conceal the crime. Blood stains were found on the vehicle’s door handle, suggesting someone tried to clean it, and Campitelli’s blood-stained Apple Watch was located in the center console.
Surveillance footage captured Perez disposing of something into a trash can near his workplace that night. Initially, he claimed to the police that he’d canceled the gathering due to his son being sick, but texts undermined his account.
Following extensive investigations that involved over 50 search warrants and analysis of cell phone data, Perez was arrested nearly two years later. He was ordered held without bail during a court appearance on Wednesday and is currently in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail.
