UPDATE: The Greeley City Council is set to vote tonight on a $295,000 settlement for Teneah Perez, who was wrongfully jailed for five days following a false accusation by a police officer. This urgent decision comes after Perez was wrongfully charged in a May 29, 2023 incident involving a traffic crash.
The council’s vote, scheduled for this evening, aims to resolve all claims made by Perez against the city and Officer Donovan Serafino, who falsely alleged she was driving at the time of the accident. The settlement is expected to come from the city’s claims reserve fund and addresses Perez’s loss of wages, confinement, and emotional distress.
According to the complaint filed in Colorado District Court, Perez was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her husband during the crash at 12th Avenue and 8th Street in Greeley. Following the accident, her husband fled the scene with their children, leaving Perez and her 6-year-old son behind. Despite their insistence that her husband was the driver, Officer Serafino inaccurately reported their statements, claiming on police radio that “the kid just told me that she was driving.”
The gravity of the charges against Perez was severe: she faced three counts of DUI, vehicular assault, and multiple counts of child abuse, among other offenses. However, an internal review of Serafino’s body-worn camera footage revealed that the child never stated Perez was driving. Further complicating matters, Serafino received an email the day after the crash from a witness confirming Perez was not the driver. Shockingly, he failed to document this critical information during his investigation and concealed the email for over 15 months.
Once the evidence was brought to light, all charges against Perez were dismissed. The Greeley Police Department conducted an internal investigation and found Serafino had violated multiple department policies, including those related to evidence handling and report accuracy. He was subsequently fired from the department, as confirmed by public information officer Kristen Duus.
The city’s legal counsel has recommended the settlement to avoid further litigation, which is now pending approval during tonight’s council meeting. If passed, this resolution will bring closure to Perez’s claims against both the city and Serafino.
This case highlights critical issues surrounding the justice system and the impact of wrongful accusations on individuals and families. The community awaits the council’s decision as it could set a precedent for future cases involving police misconduct.
As developments unfold, residents and interested parties will be watching closely for the outcome of tonight’s vote, which could finalize the settlement and provide much-needed relief to Perez and her family.
