Woodburn Priest Accused of Sex Crimes to Appear in Court Today

By Tom Hallman
The Oregonian
August 14, 2012

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/08/woodburn_priest_accused_of_sex_1.html

The Rev. Angel c is the parish priest at St. Luke Catholic Church in Woodburn. The church parking lot is marked off with tape due to a paving project.

The Rev. Angel Perez is scheduled to appear in Marion County Circuit Court this afternoon on sex crimes allegations.

Perez, the parish priest at St. Luke Catholic Church in Woodburn, is expected to be arraigned at 3 p.m.

The Rev. David Zegar, of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Northeast Portland, served at St. Luke Catholic Church prior to Perez's assignment. He said he knows the parish and its congregants well.

He told The Oregonian he was "sad for everyone involved."

"All I can say is I'm so sad," he said after celebrating Mass this morning. "For now it's best to let the police conduct their investigation."

Morning Mass at St. Luke Catholic Church was cancelled due to a paving project.

Parishioners arrived Tuesday at the church, which holds 750 people, and were surprised to find the door locked. Members of the parish who asked not to be identified said Perez is well regarded.

Perez lives less than a block away in a tidy gray house with petunias blooming in a brick planter out front.

The Oregonian is tracking developments on this story throughout the day. Return to Oregonlive for the latest information.