A 47-year-old Harlem mother was discovered fatally stabbed early Monday morning in the hallway of her apartment building, and a 41-year-old man is now facing a murder charge in connection with her death.
According to the NYPD, Carmen Lopez was found around 4:25 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, inside 409 West 129th Street with multiple stab wounds to her torso. She was transported to Mount Sinai Morningside, where she was pronounced dead.
The next day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, authorities arrested 41-year-old Luis Marquez and charged him with murder. Police have not disclosed any information regarding a possible motive.
Neighbors told CBS News and NBC New York that Lopez, a mother of four, had lived in the building for several years. Investigators reportedly believe she had just stepped off the elevator moments before she was attacked.
“She was a great mother and a great human being. She loved our family, and she loved life,” her sister, Lucy Lopez, told the New York Daily News. “We don’t know how to start over.”
CBS News and NBC New York reported that investigators believe Lopez knew her attacker. According to PIX11, sources said the man was her ex-boyfriend. He allegedly arrived at a Bronx hospital with cuts on his hands and wearing clothing tied to the crime scene before being taken into custody.
A building porter told the outlet he heard Lopez shouting, “Stop, Luis,” just before she collapsed. Another neighbor described seeing “blood all over the place,” CBS News reported.
Residents later placed candles outside the building in Lopez’s memory, while a local anti-violence organization visited to offer support to the community.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
