SCRANTON, Pa. — The man who briefly shared a Lackawanna County Prison cell with accused killer Justin Schuback was on the witness stand Thursday, and he had a statement for jurors: Justin Schuback took Robert Baron's life.
That witness said he knows this because Schuback told him.
Carlos Perez spent more than an hour Thursday testifying about his brief stint as the cellmate of one of the jail's most infamous prisoners.
In Perez's telling, Schuback eventually opened up to him during a long night last year spent getting high on drugs that Perez was prescribed from medical. Perez testified he ended up that night getting a murder confession from Schuback.
Perez was a star witness called by Deputy District Attorney Sara Varela during the fourth day of Schuback's trial for allegedly killing Baron in 2017. He's the first witness whose testimony puts Schuback inside Baron's restaurant, Ghigiarelli's, which Schuback allegedly wanted to rob because it was reportedly cash-rich.
According to his testimony, Schuback believed the restaurant had $100,000 hidden inside.
Perez continued that Bobby Baron, the victim's son, reportedly plotted with Schuback to steal the cash, but Bobby Baron wasn't there when Schuback broke in.
Bobby Baron, we should note, testified Wednesday that he had nothing to do with his father's disappearance. That's been a theory pushed by Schuback's defense as an alternative for the jury to latch onto. Bobby Baron does not face charges, and he never has in this case.
Bernie Brown, one of Schuback's lawyers, went on the attack during cross-examination.
In a loud voice, Brown's questioning sought to characterize Perez as an opportunistic crook who saw a chance at improving his legal prospects by double-crossing his cellmate.
Perez was locked up for violating probation on a robbery case and for running afoul of a protection from abuse order, which Brown seized on.
Perez acknowledged that he had charges reduced as part of a plea deal that was offered in exchange for his testimony in the Schuback case. Perez said he did not question Schuback at the direction of the district attorney's office but also acknowledged he's cooperated with law enforcement before.
As he testified, Schuback sat at the defense table, seemed to chuckle at some comments, and shook his head at others.
Perez said he's been attacked since it became publicly known that he's cooperated with the county district attorney's office. Someone hit him not long ago outside of a bar in Scranton.
He said he cooperated for reasons that had nothing to do with his own interests: because an innocent man was dead.
As Perez testified, Varela asked him if Schuback mentioned who was responsible for Robert Baron's death.
"Yes," Perez stated plainly." Him."