Shivangi Sinha
In June 2021, police responded to a reported stabbing in High Point, North Carolina, where they found Gabriela “Gaby” Cruz collapsed from multiple stab wounds. There were several other people at the scene. Witnesses identified Bianca Perez as the attacker, which led to her immediate arrest. After Gaby succumbed to her injuries at the hospital, Bianca was charged with murder. However, she claimed she acted in self-defense and feared for her life. The case and Bianca’s version of events were explored in the A&E’s ‘Accused: Guilty or Innocent’ episode titled ‘Cyberbully Victim or Vengeful Knife Killer?’
Bianca Perez Was in a Months-Long Conflict With the Woman She Stabbed
Bianca Perez shared that she had a tough childhood, and she grew up in challenging circumstances with limited resources. Despite the hardships, she always aimed to live an honest life and stayed away from criminal behavior, focusing instead on building the future she wanted. She became a mother to two children, a daughter and a younger son, who became the center of her world. After her relationship with their father ended, she eventually found love again with Darryl Appadu. They settled together with her kids in High Point, North Carolina, close to her sister, Letteria Pagan, and other relatives. Bianca felt content with the life she had created for herself.
In 2021, Bianca became involved in an escalating online dispute with a woman named Gabriela “Gaby” Cruz. According to Bianca, their frequent arguments stemmed from Gaby allegedly speaking negatively about someone else. The conflict soon intensified, with both women exchanging threatening messages. At one point in March 2021, Gaby allegedly appeared outside Bianca’s home, which the latter described as a frightening experience, especially since she and her family happened to be away at the time. The situation continued to spiral out of control, with tensions rising until things eventually took a serious turn.
On the night of June 10, 2021, Bianca returned to her home on the 1800 block of Blain Street around 9 pm. She was with Darryl and her kids were not home at the time. She claimed she saw Gaby standing nearby with two friends. According to Bianca, the trio surrounded her car, and Gaby approached the passenger side, attempting to drag her out by her hair. She alleged that she exited the car with a knife and warned Gaby to back off, but ended up stabbing her during the confrontation. The two friends reportedly called the police, who found Bianca sitting on the curb when they arrived. She was charged with second-degree murder and taken to Guilford County Jail, where she was held for 14 hours before being released on a $50,000 bond.
Videos of the Incident Proved to be Crucial Evidence in Bianca Perez’s Defense
Bianca Perez quickly sought legal assistance and, under the counsel of attorney Georgia Nixon, began building her defense. She claimed that the online harassment she had endured and the alleged threats made by Gaby left her feeling scared for her safety, which led her to carry and use the knife. However, while awaiting her trial, Bianca said she faced ongoing harassment from the community. People would reportedly throw garbage and cans at her house, and she struggled to cope with the hostility. During her trial, one of the most crucial pieces of evidence presented was two video clips recorded during the time of the incident.
The first video clip was a short one showing Bianca arriving outside her house in her car. The second clip showed her lunging at Gaby and stabbing her with a knife. Prosecutors argued that the footage clearly portrayed Bianca as the aggressor and that it undermined her self-defense claim. However, a digital forensic expert testified that the videos had likely been altered, revealing a 14-minute time gap between the first and second clips. The defense argued that this missing time was when Gaby had allegedly acted aggressively. Additionally, police body cam footage revealed that the two other girls who provided the videos had waited several minutes before handing them over, raising further questions about their authenticity.
Bianca Perez is a Free Woman Today
The prosecution offered Bianca the chance to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for serving 13–16 months in prison, but she refused. She said she believed in her innocence and chose to testify in her own defense. On the fifth day of the trial, both the prosecution and defense rested their cases, and after six hours of deliberation, the jury found her not guilty of the crime. She was acquitted and released. She seems to still be with Darryl and is living in High Point, North Carolina. However, she has chosen to maintain a low profile, understandably staying out of the public eye.
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