Content warning: This article mentions child sexual abuse. Please take care while reading.
Pennsylvania police arrested a 19-year-old man recently on allegations he lured a 13-year-old girl through TikTok to his home in Philadelphia, kept her captive, and assaulted her, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. Pennsylvania authorities said she pulled out her hair and dropped it around the suspect’s apartment so that if she died, investigators might still find her DNA.
Pennsylvania police arrested Angel Lopez in late March this year. Authorities say he convinced a 13-year-old girl to leave her home in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and travel to his apartment in Philadelphia via an Uber he paid for. Greensburg is nearly 400 miles east of Philadelphia. Lopez and the girl had exchanged explicit photos on social media before the request.
She told her parents she “ran away”
Man accused of using TikTok to lure, sexually assault Westmoreland teen held on charges | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/CdmUxoLgJF
— WTAE-TV Pittsburgh (@WTAE) April 10, 2025
According to Pittsburgh news outlet WTAE, Lopez allegedly told the girl to leave a note telling her parents she ran away and that her family should not search for her. Pennsylvania law enforcement officials also allege he told her to leave her electronic devices behind so that she “left no trace.”
When the girl arrived at Lopez’s apartment, Lopez kept her captive and sexually assaulted her several times.
Greensburg Police Detective Sargeant Justin Scalzo said at a press conference, “He had mentioned to her that nobody would ever find her, and that was concerning.”
The victim pulled out strands of her hair and left them around the apartment, saying later, “If nobody found her, maybe they could at least find her DNA,” Scalzo said.
Scalzo also said authorities suspect Lopez may have done this before.
The victim’s mother reported her missing. Authorities found her location through Uber GPS data. By that time, she had escaped Lopez’s apartment when she heard people in the hallway, hoping that if Lopez followed her, those people might call the police.
Referring to the incident, Detective Sargeant Scalzo added, “You have to be cautious of exactly what your teenagers and young children are doing and who is befriending them on some of these social media apps because it doesn’t take long sometimes for a predator to brainwash them into doing something that they normally wouldn’t do.”
The teenage girl is back with her family. Lopez is reportedly held without bond at the Westmoreland County Prison. He is expected in court on May 14.
The girl’s mother, who has remained anonymous, told NBC Philadelphia, “I hate him so bad, he took the innocence of my daughter. These girls: they’re young, they’re going through changes.” It’s very easy to get their attention, she said.
If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
Published: Apr 11, 2025 02:03 pm