November 1, 2021
Prosecutors said on Friday that the father and stepmother of 11-year-old Roman Lopez, who was found dead last year in Placerville, are facing murder charges now.
According to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, a complaint was filed against both Jordan and Lindsay Piper for charges such as murder, child abuse, torturing, and poisoning on Thursday.
In February, both were arrested in Calaveras County on child abuse and torture charges, with Lindsay was also charged with poisoning and have made their first court appearance in that same month.
When Roman’s body was found in a bin in the Pipers’ basement in January 2020, he was living with the pipers and seven other children.
Roman’s autopsy showed no obvious trauma; therefore, murder charges were slow to develop. According to officials, Roman, a boy his mother described as goofy and kind, was severely malnourished and dehydrated when he was found.
All seven other children were living with a new family in Michigan who was under the care of the Pipers.
The Placerville Police Department and the district attorney’s office refused to reveal any new information that led to the murder charge, but police investigators described it as great news.
It is great news. We have been aiming for justice for Roman all through this investigation. As long as we get justice for that little guy, we will be happy, Placerville Police Department Commander Dan Maciel said.
The Pipers will be arraigned in Roman’s murder on November 19.
Child Abuse Laws in California
Penal Code section 273a addresses the situations in which a person endangers the safety of a child or inflicts, causes, or permits unjustified pain or mental suffering on a child in conditions that can cause death or great bodily injury. This is a serious charge that will have serious consequences. It is sometimes filed in domestic violence cases. Still, it can also be filed in connection with nearly any crime or by itself, where a child’s safety or well-being is seriously endangered.
To prove guilty someone of this crime, the government must prove that:
- The defendant caused, permitted, or put a child in danger of unjustifiable physical or mental suffering under conditions that were likely to result in death or serious bodily injury;
- It was not due to reasonable child discipline that the defendant injured or endangered the child.
At Khashan Law, we help and support abused children to obtain justice and compensation. We file a lawsuit for those who failed to protect the child or report suspected child abuse.
Call 951.461.2387 immediately for a free and confidential consultation with our team of experienced child abuse lawyers if you or a family member have been a victim of child abuse.
Our attorneys are compassionate, knowledgeable, and eager to assist each child. However, there is a strict statute of limitations when filing cases, so you must act promptly to avoid missing a deadline.