The Murder of Maria Nemeth

On September 20, 2015, Fidel Lopez killed his g, irlfriend, Maria Nemeth, 31, after she said her ex-husband’s name while they were having sexual intercourse. He then sexually violated her remains.

Background

When Maria Nemeth, 31, had met Fidel Lopez, 25, in a club, she had just got out of an 8-year marriage; Lopez was living with the mother of his children. They started dating and moved in together to an apartment in Hollywood. Then they lived with Lopez’s family before moving into the Colonnade Residences in Sunrise, Florida, a week before the murder. Maria was the manager of the complex they moved into. Maria and Lopez had been dating for approximately a year at the time of the murder.

The Murder

On September 20, 2015, Maria and Lopez were having a few drinks in the apartment they moved into a week prior. According to court documents, after taking a few shots of tequila, the couple somehow wound up in the closet, where they had sex. During intercourse, Maria had said the name of her ex-husband two times, which infuriated Lopez.

Fidel Lopez

Lopez started destroying the apartment; he broke various items, punched holes in walls, and shattered the sliding glass door. During this time, Maria had become unconscious from drinking too much and was lying in the closet.

Lopez penetrated her vagina and anus with various items, including a beer bottle and a flat iron. Lopez told the police he had inserted his arm up to his elbow into her vagina, which caused her to bleed. According to court documents, Lopez told police he turned into a “monster.” He continued to violate her body, ripping pieces of her inside out through her vagina and anus. Lopez told police Maria never regain consciousness. He carried her to the bathroom to splash water on her face, but she did not wake up.

Lopez went outside to smoke a cigarette on the back porch. Becoming panicked, he then started cleaning up and “used items to cover up the bloody tissue.” When he went to check on Maria, who was still in the bathroom, she was not breathing anymore. Lopez called 911.

Police Arrive

Police arrived at the house around 3:39 a.m. on September 20, 2015, and found Lopez crying, standing over Maria’s naked body, asking for help. Officers noticed a large amount of blood on the floor and the destruction throughout the apartment. The lead officer also noted “what appeared to be several chunks of bloody tissue on the floor of the closet.” Rescue checked for any signs of life but could not find any; Maria was pronounced dead at 4:02 a.m.

Investigators secured the scene and spoke to neighbors who stated they heard a male screaming and heard loud banging for about 2 hours. Lopez was taken in for questioning.

Interview

Lopez originally told police that Maria had wanted him to insert the objects and his arm in her, as they were into rough sex. After they were done, he stated Maria went into the bathroom to throw up. He found her a few minutes later, having a hard time breathing.

Police did not believe this story and kept asking Lopez to tell the truth, which he eventually did. He told police “She called me the name of the other f***ing guy – and she said it twice and she was wrong and she was confusing me with him.”

Arrest, Charges, & Sentence

Lopez was charged with first degree murder and sexual battery. He pled guilty to both charges to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to life in prison.

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