Valerie Lopez Confesses to Killing Her Two Children and Hiding Their Bodies Under Her Apartment
Oh yay, another story of a dumb young mother who behaves badly and a system who fails two more kids. Valerie Lopez, 19, of San Antonio, Texas killed her two young children and stashed their bodies underneath her apartment building. Neighbors found the bodies after they began to decompose and stink.
Lopez is charged with capital murder in the death of her 14-month-old daughter Sariyah Garcia. She beat the girl to death on Christmas Eve. She also supposedly rolled over her five-month-old son, Sebastin Lopez two months later. According to the medical examiner, Sariyah’s teeth had been traumatically yanked from her mouth. Sebastian had a broken leg that was healing before he died.
At first she blamed her boyfriend Jerry Salazar, 28, for killing the kids while she was at work. He is charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission since he was aware his girlfriend was abusing her kids.
But now Lopez has confessed to the murders. She says she’s sorry for everything because she hurt the people she loved and that her kids mean everything to her. She blames her bipolar disorder and her inability to pay for doctor’s visits and medication.
Yet her family feels differently. Lopez’s sister, Tina Valdez, said her sister wouldn’t ask for help with the kids or acknowledge her illness. As David Lohr reports in his excellent article at Crime Library, this was not the first time Lopez abused her children, including the two others she had before Sariyah and Sebastin were born:
Valdez told authorities that her sister had four children all together. She said her sister had a temper and that she had reported her sister to the authorities in 2002 for punching her 9-month-old daughter, Alexis Ramirez, in the chest. For that incident, Lopez was convicted of assault in juvenile court. However, for unknown reasons, Child Protective Services (CPS) did not take custody of the child. Instead, they placed both Lopez and her daughter in a foster home.
The following year, Lopez gave birth to a baby boy, who she named Jeovoni Lopez. In 2005, Lopez ran away from the foster home, leaving both of her children behind. CPS then took custody of them, and they were later were adopted.
Wow. Seems not only is this woman a child abuser but a repeat offender. Why didn’t someone take Sariyah and Sebastin away from her when they were born? Or make sure Lopez had some permanent form of birth control considering that she’s mentally unstable and unable to properly care for her children?
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22 opinions for Valerie Lopez Confesses to Killing Her Two Children and Hiding Their Bodies Under Her Apartment
alalee
Mar 17, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Well if that’s not evidence of failure of “the system” in this country, I don’t know what is. We have a girl here with 4 kids by age 19 (punch in the numbers, she had one at around 13 - WTF is up with that?) and she abuses and then abandons the first two (which in many states, abandonment is a cause for involuntary termination of parental rights and prior ITPR should have affected her parental rights for the other two). But no, they didn’t follow through and now two more children are dead.
When are the lawmakers in this country going to wake up and smell the coffee? The system and many of the laws (specifically the way they are sporadically applied) regarding abuse and neglect do not work. Gimme a break.
I’ve revised my thoughts on involuntary sterilization of this kind of situation: Once they’re tried and convicted they should have to undergo this procedure w/o anesthetic.
Lulabelle
Mar 17, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Four Children at 19! If this is not evidence that civilization has failed, I don’t know what is! “Greatest nation in the world,” NOT.
Anja
Mar 17, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I have bipolar disease and I would never du such a thing.. it makes me mad that she blame her diagnosis! I’m soon to finish my masters degree in peace and conflict studies and I’m doing real well in life. People that blame their evil actions on a disease just makes me want to scream!!
Ihavekidstoo
Mar 17, 2007 at 6:37 pm
The solution for these repeat offenders is simple - sterilize them. Once a man or woman is convicted of abusing their child, take the child away, give it to someone who will take care of it, and sterilize the abusers so they can’t do what this woman did. I know that sounds radical. But then, I also advocate that people who murder or rape a child should have the words “Baby Killer” or “Baby Rapist” branded across their foreheads before they’re sent to prison for the rest of their miserable lives.
Mellie
Mar 17, 2007 at 7:32 pm
I live in San Antonio and this story is horrifing everyone! The girls own family tried to get CPS to take the kids! CPS supposedly tried to “contact” her over 40 times. I’m not sure what contact is defined as but to me it sounds like phone calls! Do they not know what caller id is? Why would she answer knowing what awaited her!!! It is just so sad! These poor kids are just the latest we know of to be left behind by CPS. They really should get more funding so they can have more people to find the kids that need their help!!
Bryan
Mar 17, 2007 at 9:24 pm
This is rich. In fact, it made my night.
ricky
Mar 18, 2007 at 1:42 am
the system didn’t kill these children, the MOTHER did, with the help of the FATHER.
Kathy
Mar 19, 2007 at 5:20 am
What I don’t understand is that the bodies had to actually decompose and start to smell before anyone noticed these children were missing. It is heartbreaking how children can be gone without even being missed!
The fact that the childrens’ own family members were contacting CPS should have set off major alarm bells for them.
Involuntary sterilization is sounding better and better. This bitch already knew she couldn’t handle her own children, yet she continued to spread ‘em without any form of birth control. All parental rights should have been terminated for any future children as well, when the first were abandoned. That goes for both these scumbags - the “mother” and the “father.” I don’t care who actually did the killing, at least one of them stood by and let it happen…and then didn’t report it.
I don’t care if she was bi-polar. She is a murderer and a waste of oxygen. I am so glad that Texas is a death penalty state. They need to send her to the front of the line.
Stephanie
Mar 19, 2007 at 6:24 am
I live in San Antonio and I can not tell you how horrified I was when this story crossed the morning news. I am a mother myself and I just cried for these poor babies who had their lives stolen from them and didn’t even have anyone who cared enough in their lives to realize they were missing.
There were so many oversights in this story and knowing that if CPS had done their jobs properly, these children may still be alive makes me livid!! There were warning signs all over, hell, even the girl’s family knew she was a danger to the little ones!! It just makes me sick….. just plain sick.
Mellie
Mar 19, 2007 at 6:44 am
When this “woman” was arrested she was given a $10 million bail! That is one of the highest in the history of San Antonio!
amylulu1
Mar 19, 2007 at 10:12 am
I agree, bipolar or not, she still knew right from wrong, otherwise she would not have hidden the bodies. I am soooo tired of the system and our GOVERNOR looking the other way instead of helping out these kids. It is up to our lawmakers to make this issue a priority and yet kids keep dying.
Lauren
Mar 19, 2007 at 12:14 pm
just imagine what these poor babies life was like as short as it was, im sure the never got to enjoy anything in life and never knew what it was like to be held and loved on…..what a piece of shit she is
karen
Mar 19, 2007 at 2:56 pm
i have to wonder… did the neighbors never hear the screams of these babies as they were being abused? if they did, were any reports ever filed with cps? did the sister who once reported her for abuse turn her back on the babies and never check in to see if they were ok? yes, mom is an abuser and a sick demented person…but someone somewhere down the line other than the sister could have called the police when they heard the screams of a child being “repeatedly struck around the head and body” on christmas eve. God help us all…things are getting worse by the minute.
Sandy
Mar 20, 2007 at 7:49 am
She had the nerve to say that her children mean everything to her!! If they did, they’d still be alive. She’s “woman” enough to have sex and give birth but she can’t own up to being a parent. This girl should never get out of prison. She has no regard for human life (that she created) and puts the blame on everything but herself. I agree with the others here and that the signs were there yet all of this continued to happen. The innocent ones give up their lives to the evil ones. So sad.
kari
Mar 20, 2007 at 4:33 pm
This story makes me sick. I agree with everyone who questioned how no one could hear a child being beaten to death. How is that? It makes me sick that no one was able to step in and stop it before it got to this point.
Watcher
Mar 22, 2007 at 7:17 am
I don’t understand why anyone would be surprised that CPS didn’t do it’s job in this case. Texas has a dismal record as far as CPS is concerned. While the state is making changes, it still lacks a lot because of its stance on “reunification”. These poor little one’s had no chance and mom should get what she so richly deserves.
Braindead
Mar 22, 2007 at 10:17 pm
I hope to GOD that when that puta goes to prison, that the other mothers, sisters, aunts, grammas, and females that are terribly missing thier families while locked up will give her FULL consideration of the pain they suffer for not BEING THERE (at home with family)and let her fully FEEL the PAIN that they feel. Children can’t protect themselves from animals like this in our society. I hope they torture that pond scum very SLOWLY for the sake of those dead babies.
Blanca
Mar 27, 2007 at 8:43 am
I also live in San Antonio, I am a mother of 2 boys… yes they are 4 and 6 that should be plenty to drive me crazy… but never crazy enough to beat them or do anything stupid! My kids are my world and I wouldn’t do anything but try my hardest to keep them safe in my arms.. This crazy bitch should be sentenced to death. These kids couldn’t defend themselves. and SHAME on CPS. They don’t focus enough on cases…. HIRE MORE CASE WORKERS!!!! I’m positive it will be WELL WORTH IT!
Prisonboundkiller
Apr 1, 2007 at 9:58 am
sad sad story
thelnita
Jul 11, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I am a court appointed special advocate for children in San Antonio. It’s so sad but this case is not isolated at all. San Antonio especially has a really bad rep as far as CPS is concerned. It’s the state. I work with CPS on a daily basis and those case workers work really hard. They are underpaid and overworked. Many of them handle as many as 40 cases. Until the emergency plan went in to place some case workers were working on up to 70 cases per month. The system needs a complete overhaul.
Isabelle060107
Nov 3, 2007 at 9:59 pm
I would like to meet this lady and beat the shit out of her. Using bipolar as an excuse… bullsh*t. Hearing things like this makes me so mad. I’d be completely ashamed if I knew her.
AdaWakeman
Dec 6, 2007 at 2:29 pm
What can i say? I am shocked… She’s a monster!!! There are mothers doing worst than her and they don’t kill their children… Those authorities have their fault; it’s obvious because they shouldn’t let those children on her hands… She is a monster, and there still are some women like her that has to be ‘buried’ in jails.
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