Awilda Lopez

Case information

Awilda Lopez was born on April 28, 1966. She was sentenced in relation to the beating death of her daughter.

The offence

Elisa Izquierdo was beaten and sodomized over a two-year period. Prosecutors said Elisa was beaten and sodomized for months before her death, and that after her head was slammed against a cement surface last November she was left by her mother to die. Investigators said Awilda Lopez confessed to killing Elisa by throwing her against a concrete wall. Police told reporters there was no part of the six-year-old's body that was not cut or bruised.

Police reported that the victim had been harmed in multiple ways, including reports that Awilda Lopez made Elisa eat her own feces, and mopped the floor with her head. Police said Elisa was left with deep-red blotches and ghastly wounds around her genitals. A report described the bone of her right-hand pinkie jutting through the skin. Police said thirty circular marks that at first appeared to be cigarette burns turned out to be impressions left by the stone in someone's ring. The Daily Beast described the autopsy as finding her head had been hit so hard that her brain hemorrhaged. The New York Times described Elisa as murdered by her mother on November 22, 1995.

Awilda Lopez told police she believed her daughter was possessed by the devil. The Daily Beast described that Lopez reportedly told friends she once slid snakes down her daughter's throat to exorcise the demons. The Daily Beast also described that Lopez would hold Elisa upside down, using her curly brown hair as a human mop.

People

Defendant

• Awilda Lopez (b. April 28, 1966)

Victim

• Elisa Izquierdo (February 11, 1989 – November 22, 1995), a six-year-old Cuban American girl

Other named individuals

• Gustavo Izquierdo: Elisa’s father; died of cancer on May 26, 1994
• Carlos Lopez: Awilda Lopez’s husband; described as her companion; imprisoned for assault in connection with a pocket-knife stabbing; later sentenced in connection with Elisa’s death
• Elisa Izquierdo’s cousin, Elsa Canizares: petitioned for custody of Elisa
• Judge Phoebe Greenbaum: awarded custody of Elisa to her mother; sentenced Awilda Lopez
• Justice Alvin Schlesinger: sentenced Awilda Lopez to 15 years to life in prison
• Daniel J. Ollen: Awilda Lopez’s lawyer
• Nicholas Scoppetta: commissioner of the city’s Administration for Children’s Services
• Andrew Lachman: school spokesman
• Kathryn Croft: executive deputy commissioner / commissioner of the Child Welfare Administration
• Bonnie Bufford: supervisor in a Queens child-protective-services unit
• Gail Nayowith: executive director of the Citizens’ Committee for Children
• Prince Michael of Greece: recommended custody arrangements and later promised to finance Elisa’s education
• Bart O’Connor: involved with Project Chance, a federally funded parenting program
• Phyllis Bryce: director of the Montessori school; wrote letters to Judge Greenbaum recommending custody to the father’s cousin
• Barbara Simmons: Elisa’s teacher at Montessori preschool
• Phyllis Bryce: school director
• Barbara Woodruff: neighbor
• Mary Crespo: recalled Elisa’s relationship with Gustavo
• Doris Sepulveda: neighbor
• Eric Latorre: neighbor
• Francisco Santana: downstairs neighbor
• Luis Gonzalez: lieutenant of police described as commenting on the case
• Rudolph Giuliani: mayor of New York City; associated with creation of an agency and a task force
• George E. Pataki: governor who signed legislation “Elisa’s Law” on February 12, 1996
• Brunilda Rivera: Awilda Lopez’s sister
• Miriam Saeed: niece of Awilda Lopez
• Mercy Torres: another of Awilda Lopez’s sisters
• Yvonne Valentine: neighbor
• Matilde Collazo: Awilda Lopez’s mother
• Cynthia Nuldrow: co-worker who recalled help with formula and diapers
• Alicia Stultz: friend
• Lieut. Luis Gonzalez: quoted as saying it was the worst case of child abuse he had ever seen
• Michael Brown: firefighter began CPR (as described)
• Reverend Gianni Agostinelli: spoke at the funeral
• Rev. Gianni Agostinelli: quoted at the funeral

Background

Elisa Izquierdo was born addicted to cocaine on February 11, 1989. Custody of Elisa was given to Gustavo Izquierdo. It became a focus of public debate whether Lopez initially gave up her daughter or whether she voluntarily abandoned her.

In May 1994, Gustavo died of cancer and Awilda Lopez first gained custody of Elisa in May 1994 after the child’s father died. Awilda Lopez was described as coming under the influence of crack cocaine.

The narrative described that Elisa was singled out for abuse among her siblings. It was alleged that Lopez forbade Elisa to have contact with her other siblings while they ate or played, forced her to ingest her own waste, mopped the floor with her head, cut off the child’s hair, and kept Elisa confined to their apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan while the other children were allowed out to play.

Investigation

Police responded to a call reporting that Elisa had stopped breathing. Rescue workers arrived at apartment 20A at the Rutgers House housing project in lower Manhattan and found Elisa had deep-red blotches. The narrative said there were ghastly wounds around her genitals and an enormous bruise near the kidney, along with bruises on her face and around her temples. Fireman Michael Brown began CPR but it was described as hopeless.

Police said Awilda Lopez showed a confession after police arrived. Awilda Lopez confessed to killing Elisa by throwing her against a concrete wall. Police said she also confessed that she had made Elisa eat her own feces and that she had mopped the floor with her head.

Lieut. Luis Gonzalez was quoted as saying:

"In my 22 years," said Lieut. Luis Gonzalez, "this is the worst case of child abuse I have ever seen."

Arrest

Police arrived at the scene and Awilda Lopez was described as having screamed in the street and later showing little emotion after being taken into custody.

Trial

In June, Awilda Lopez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in return for the punishment handed down in August. The sentencing was described as coming with the judge’s condemnation of the city’s child welfare system and society in general for failure to take action before Elisa’s death.

Awilda Lopez expressed remorse before sentencing:

''I am sorry for what happened.''

Before sentencing, her lawyer Daniel J. Ollen said:

''We ask only that you impose the promised sentence,''

After the hearing, her lawyer said:

''It was a fair sentence,''
''The reality and the magnitude of what she did finally hit her today. She doesn't blame anyone anymore.''

Brunilda Rivera said:

''Elisa is never coming back,'' Brunilda Rivera, Ms. Lopez's sister, said.
''Fifteen years is not enough. She should never get out of prison.''

Sentencing

Justice Alvin Schlesinger condemned the system. The judge was quoted:

''We have not created procedures to do everything necessary to protect the young and vulnerable in this society,'' Justice Schlesinger said.
''The system has failed to protect our babies, and don't tell me how much it costs. If anything is to become of this horrendous tragedy, it will be that we give priority to these babies.''

Justice Schlesinger stated that Awilda Lopez would not be eligible for parole until 2011:

''Knowing the parole board, she will spend a long time in prison,'' the judge said.

On July 31, 1996, Awilda Lopez was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

The New York Times described the slumping and wailing over punishment as she was sentenced, and that the sentencing took place in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

Appeals

No appeals were described in the provided material.

Outcome

Awilda Lopez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a sentence of 15 years to life in prison on July 31, 1996.

Aftermath

As of May 2012, Awilda Lopez was still in prison at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, 247 Harris Road, Bedford Hills, New York 10507, NYSID: 08159607Q, DIN: 96G1200. She was scheduled for a parole hearing in July 2012. She was denied parole previously in November 2010. She was denied parole for the second time in July 2012. Her next parole hearing was scheduled for July 2014.

During the winter of 2006, when the Nixzmary Brown case made headlines, Lopez expressed her penitence from prison for her role in her own daughter's death.

Funeral details were described: Elisa’s funeral drew an estimated 300 mourners, with the then mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, in attendance. The funeral home was described as the Ponce Funeral Home in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Izquierdo side of the family wanted Elisa buried with her father, but the mother’s side objected; it was described that the funeral home sided with the mother’s side and chose to bury Elisa on top of someone else.

A law enacted in New York State was described as “Elisa’s Law,” signed into legislation on February 12, 1996. The law was described as designed to balance accountability through public awareness and government oversight with the privacy interests of individuals involved in child protective services cases. It was further described as loosening the veil of confidentiality surrounding child welfare cases.

In January 1996, Rudolph Giuliani created an agency called the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) devoted only to child welfare services and reporting directly to him. Elisa’s death was described as launching a crusade to open up juvenile court proceedings to the general public in New York City.

Reverend Gianni Agostinelli was quoted:

"Elisa was not killed only by the hand of a sick individual, but by the impotence of silence of many, by the neglect of child-welfare institutions and the moral mediocrity that has intoxicated our neighborhoods."

Timeline

• February 11, 1989 — Elisa Izquierdo was born addicted to cocaine.
• May 26, 1994 — Gustavo Izquierdo died of cancer.
• November 22, 1995 — Elisa Izquierdo was murdered by her mother; she was found dead in the mother’s apartment.
• December 10, 1995 — The DailyBeast described a report response to the death; this date was provided within the narrative.
• June 1996 — Awilda Lopez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in return for the punishment handed down on sentencing.
• July 31, 1996 — Awilda Lopez was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
• February 12, 1996 — Governor George E. Pataki signed into legislation “Elisa’s Law.”
• January 1996 — Rudolph Giuliani created the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS).
• November 2010 — Parole was denied previously.
• July 2012 — Parole was denied for the second time; a parole hearing was scheduled for July 2012.
• May 2012 — Awilda Lopez remained in prison at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, and the next parole hearing was scheduled for July 2014.

Other details

Elisa Izquierdo was described as liking to dance and as a symbol of child abuse in the USA after being beaten to death by her mother in 1995. Her story was described as making city and then national headlines, and as involving public debate about missed opportunities by New York City’s Child Welfare System (now the Administration for Children’s Services).

Elisa was described as being Cuban American. She was described as under protection of her father Gustavo Izquierdo until his death from cancer. She was also described as having befriended Prince Michael of Greece through her school. Elisa’s story was described as being featured on an August 1996 episode of Dateline NBC, and as being the subject of speculation in the media including local tabloids and a cover of Time Magazine.

The narrative described a custody fight after Gustavo’s death, held at Brooklyn Family Court before Judge Phoebe Greenbaum. Elsa Canizares petitioned for custody of Elisa, and Phyllis Bryce and Prince Michael wrote letters recommending Elsa Canizares be given custody. Judge Greenbaum awarded custody of Elisa to her mother.

The narrative described that after Elisa’s death, officials faced criticism. Nicholas Scoppetta was quoted:

''I don't think the court is aware of what's been going on in this agency,'' said Nicholas Scoppetta, Commissioner of the city's Administration for Children's Services, ''because we have case workers who work without extra compensation, who do a very dangerous job, who go into dangerous situations under very difficult circumstances.''

Scoppetta was also quoted:

''To paint the entire staff of caseworkers with that kind of broad brush is just simply unfair,'' Mr. Scoppetta said.
''I am just going to have to assume that he is uninformed -- well-intentioned but uninformed.''

The narrative also described that parole eligibility was discussed with reference to 2011, and that Awilda Lopez would not be eligible for parole until then.

A report within the provided material described that Lopez expressed remorse from prison for her role in her own daughter's death during the winter of 2006.

The funeral location was described as Cypress Hills Cemetery in Queens later after being held at the Ponce Funeral Home in Brooklyn.