Latest news with #AngelLopez
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
13-Year-Old Pulled Out Her Own Hair to Leave DNA Evidence at Home of Alleged Sexual Assaulter, Police Say
Police say a 13-year-old girl pulled out her own hair to leave her DNA evidence at the home of a 19-year-old man who allegedly sexually assaulted her. Angel Lopez, 19, is accused of luring the girl through conversations on TikTok over four days, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said in a statement on March 27. Lopez then paid for her Uber ride from Westmoreland County, Pa., to Philadelphia, where he allegedly assaulted her in his home after offering her drugs. Lopez appeared in court on Thursday, April 10 for a preliminary hearing following his arrest, reports WTAE. Lopez was charged with "kidnapping a minor, trafficking, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a person less than 16, unlawful contact of a minor, interference with child custody, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a child, sexual abuse of a child, corruption of minors and criminal use of a communication facility." The girl told police that he said, 'They won't be able to find you anyway," per the criminal complaint, according to WTAE. After the victim was assaulted, the defendant allegedly told her to show "to wash his DNA off her," the D.A.'s office said. According to the criminal complaint, the girl told police she left strands of her hair around Lopez's bedroom so her DNA could be found, reports WTAE. Related: Wisconsin Teen Says Short-Lived TikTok Ban Was Motive for Allegedly Setting Fire to Local Congressman's Office: Police "He had mentioned to her that nobody would ever find her," Det. Sgt. Justin Scalzo of the Greensburg, Pa. police department said in a press conference on March 27, per WTAE. "And that was concerning. And that actually prompted the victim in this case to pull out strands of her hair and try to leave them around the apartment, saying that later that if nobody found her, maybe they could at least find her DNA." Scalzo elaborated that Lopez allegedly 'did not want her to take any electronic devices with her to Philly. And then one text message stated, 'I want you to leave no trace behind.'' Lopez exchanged 1,862 printed pages of messages with the girl during the four-day period. The victim later told police that their relationship turned sexual via explicit messages prior to the assault, and she expressed apprehension about going to Philadelphia. When she shared her doubts with Lopez, he allegedly threatened to kill himself if she did not go to see him, KDKA News reports, citing the criminal complaint. Related: Madeline Soto's Mom Allegedly Told Police Boyfriend Was 'Grooming and Abusing' Teen Per the D.A., the victim was reported missing by her family on March 14. Police were able to ping her phone to a location near Lopez's remains in custody at Westmoreland County Prison. His next court date is May 14. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to . Read the original article on People
Miami Herald
28-03-2025
- Miami Herald
Man lures 13-year-old he met on TikTok to his apartment 300 miles away, PA cops say
A 19-year-old man lured a 13-year-old girl almost 300 miles to his Pennsylvania apartment for sex acts after meeting her on TikTok just four days prior, police said. Angel Lopez is facing 14 criminal charges including kidnapping a minor, statutory sexual assault and trafficking in individuals, according to court records filed on March 26. His attorney information was not listed. The teen girl was living with her mother in Greensburg when she and Lopez moved their conversation from TikTok to text messages between March 10 and March 14, police said. That's when Lopez sent the girl sexually explicit messages and videos and convinced her to send explicit videos to him, according to a criminal complaint. Lopez then started to talk about running away with the 13-year-old girl and said he wanted to move out of the state and to get her pregnant, the complaint said. That's when the man started to craft a plan to bring the girl to his Philadelphia apartment, police said. When the girl expressed concern, however, Lopez told her he would kill himself if she didn't go through with running away, according to the probable cause statement. In the early hours of March 14, the girl's mother found a note from her daughter, the probable cause statement said. 'Dear Mom, I know you're wondering where I am, but I am not at the house,' the note said, according to police. 'I decided to run away because I think it will make life easier. I don't want to be in that house anymore. I promise I'm safe, and please don't look for me. I feel life will be better for me. I love you so much.' Lopez had enticed the girl to get into an Uber he had paid for to go to his apartment in Philadelphia, an approximately 278-mile drive, police said. When she arrived at the man's apartment building, he met her out front and took her to his fifth-floor apartment, police said. The girl told police he started to make sexual advances at her while they were still in the elevator. He forced the girl into sex acts then made her shower so the girl could 'wash his DNA off,' the probable cause statement said. The girl said she felt 'extremely uncomfortable and disgusted' during the sex acts and wanted to leave Lopez's apartment, the probable cause statement said. When she told Lopez she wanted to leave, he said 'they won't be able to find you anyway,' according to the probable cause. Meanwhile back in Greensburg, the girl's mom had contacted police, who were able to locate the girl's phone at the Philadelphia apartment, the probable cause statement said. Her mother then made the drive across the state to find her. The girl managed to escape the man's apartment and was found by Philadelphia police, who took care of her until her mother arrived, police said. The girl was later evaluated at a hospital near Greensburg.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
DA: Pennsylvania man arrested after kidnapping, assaulting minor
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said a 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged with allegedly kidnapping a minor. Angel Lopez, of Philadelphia, has been charged after he allegedly paid for an Uber to bring her to his home where he later sexually assaulted her, according to the DA's release. On March 14, officers with the Greensburg Police were notified that a 13-year-old girl was missing. A statewide effort ensued to find and bring the minor home. An investigation found that Lopez had started talking to the child through TikTok just four days before she went missing. Lopez is accused of paying for an Uber to pick up the child and bring her to Philadelphia. 11 arrested for illegal firearm trafficking in Pennsylvania sting operation: AG Sunday Lopez told the girl to leave a note telling her family she was running away and not to look for her, according to the release. Once she arrived he allegedly made her turn off her phone, offered her drugs and sexually assaulted her. The victim was made to shower to wash off his DNA before she was able to escape his apartment, according to the district attorney. She was found by Philadelphia Police and was transported to a nearby station. Police were able to track the girl through GPS coordinates and confirmed that she was taken from Greensburg to Philadelphia and was dropped off near Lopez's apartment. Investigators added that they were able to retrieve data from the victim's devices which included an exorbitant number of messages exchanged between the victim and the defendant, including graphic videos. On Thursday, March 27 officers executed a search warrant on Lopez's apartment and he was arrested by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Child Predator Unit under the direction of Attorney General Dave Sunday. 'There are no bounds to the extent predators will go to access kids, so collaboration between law enforcement is crucial,' Sunday said. 'Our Child Predator Unit is trained and experienced to combat this heinous conduct, and we commend our partners who worked diligently to file charges and bring the child home.' 'First and foremost, I am so thankful this young girl is home safe, however let this be a lesson to each and every child and parent out there: if this can happen in Greensburg, this can happen anywhere,' Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said. The case against Lopez remains active and ongoing. 'As parents, we need to be vigilant and monitor who our children are talking to and what apps are downloaded on their devices. I applaud the local and state agencies involved who acted swiftly to bring this victim safely home and are pursuing justice to hold Mr. Lopez accountable,' DA Ziccarelli added. Lopez is currently facing charges of kidnapping a minor, trafficking, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a person less than 16, unlawful contact of a minor, interference with child custody, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a child, sexual abuse of a child, corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility. Lopez is in the Westmoreland County Prison with bail denied for the 'safety of the community' as he is a 'flight risk,' according to court documents. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 10. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
27-03-2025
- CBS News
Man who met Greensburg girl on TikTok bought her an Uber to Philadelphia and sexually assaulted her, police say
A Philadelphia man is facing a slew of charges, including kidnapping, trafficking and indecent assault, after investigators said he bought an Uber for a 13-year-old Greensburg girl he met on TikTok and sexually assaulted her when she got to his apartment. Greensburg police said the investigation began on March 14 when a mom reported her 13-year-old daughter had run away. The mom said her daughter had written a note that said, "I promise I'm safe, and please don't look for me." Police found the girl after they pinged her phone in Philadelphia. After picking her daughter up, the girl's mother told police that she believed her daughter had met an older man, 19-year-old Angel Lopez, on TikTok and that he had convinced the 13-year-old to sneak out of her house in the early morning hours of March 14 and take an Uber he was paying for from Greensburg to Philadelphia. According to the criminal complaint, when investigators interviewed the victim, she explained that her relationship with Lopez turned sexual when he asked her to send him explicit pictures. She said she had second thoughts about traveling to Philadelphia, but whenever she expressed her doubts, he told her that if she didn't go through with the trip, he'd kill himself. The victim told police Lopez started to make sexual advances towards her in the elevator ride to his apartment. She said once inside, Lopez told her to turn off her phone, gave her a weed pen and made her shower before having sex with her. The victim told investigators that she was "extremely uncomfortable and disgusted," and while Lopez was assaulting her, she pulled out strands of her hair and left them in his bedroom, hoping they'd be found later. She said she wanted to leave, but Lopez told her, "They won't be able to find you anyways." Police said she was eventually able to escape when she heard voices outside Lopez's apartment. She said she thought that if Lopez tried to chase her, the bystanders would see and call police. Lopez is facing several charges, including kidnapping, trafficking, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16, unlawful contact with a minor, statutory sexual assault, interference with custody of children and corruption of minors.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Police: Man paid to Uber 13-year-old he met on TikTok to other city, sexually assaulted her
A 19-year-old Philadelphia man is accused of coercing a 13-year-old girl he met on TikTok to travel across the state, and sexually assaulting her multiple times, originally reported by our news partner WPXI. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A woman called Greensburg police on March 14 to report her daughter missing after finding a note from her saying she ran away, according to WPXI. Investigators tracked the 13-year-old's cell phone to Philadelphia. Officers found the victim and took her to the police station until her mother arrived. WPXI says. TRENDING STORIES: 22-year-old woman killed in crash near pawn shop Coroner IDs 'badly decomposed' body found near local ballpark Student loan borrowers may see credit scores tumble, NY Federal Reserve says The mother told police that she may have met a man online who had convinced her to travel across the state, but wasn't sure how she would have made it there, according to WPXI. When the mother and the victim were on their way home, the mother contacted police and told them her daughter had been talking to a man named Angel Lopez, 19, on TikTok, WPXI says. The mother said Lopez convinced her daughter to sneak out and take an Uber that Lopez had arranged and paid for, WPXI says. The 13-year-old told officers that she and Lopez started texting each other and he started sending explicit content, WPXI says. She said Angel 'loves her,' according to information from WPXI. She told authorities that when she arrived at Lopez's apartment, he made her turn off her cell phone and take several hits from a 'weed pen,' according to WPXI. After that, the victim said Lopez assaulted her. Police said the victim described feeling uncomfortable and disgusted, and that she felt 'weird' throughout the encounter, WPXI says. When the victim asked to leave the apartment, WPXI says Lopez started using 'manipulation tactics.' Lopez allegedly told the victim, 'They won't be able to find you anyway,' WPXI says. The victim says she started to feel unsafe at the apartment, and pulled out strands of her hair and left them around the bedroom, hoping her DNA would be found later, according to WPXI. The 13-year-old was able to escape, WPXI says. She told police she had second thoughts about traveling to see Lopez, but he told her he would harm himself if she didn't go through with it, WPXI says. Lopez was taken into custody and is facing dozens of charges, including kidnapping a minor, trafficking in individuals, statutory sexual assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with someone under 16. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
