CA - Roman Anthony Lopez, 11, found deceased, poisoned , Placerville, 11 Jan 2020 *arrests*

[Gibbo214]

Did she think that it would be put down to a natural death if it were done slowly?

 

[MsBetsy]

Maybe not. She was likely receiving $$$ for the three children she was entrusted with, so why harm them? Killing three would also be very obvious. By the looks of her boys, she was feeding them quite well! I don’t think they ingested anything poisonous. JMHO

Well, it's not uncommon for a parent to abuse one or two children and not the others. The mother of the other three children was worried that her children had been in danger, too.

If my well water was poisoned, I would consider it dangerous for anyone who drank it.

In some situations the parents indirectly involve other children in the family to participate in the abuse, which is abusive itself.

Imo

 

[MsBetsy]

Did she think that it would be put down to a natural death if it were done slowly?

Whatever she was thinking, it probably wasn't rational. Hopefully we will learn more eventually. I'm wondering how long the abuse went on and how long she had been poisoning him. The woman whose children they had custody of said Roman was healthy and had always played with her kids. But that was before they moved. Imo

 

[realanastasia]

Am I reading this correctly? Not only did she poison this sweet boy, but she also placed a poison and harmful substance into a... public water supply? I'm at a loss as to what that means. Did she flush the poison she was using on Roman, into the city sewer system?

I agree that this is likely what the charge about contaminating a public water supply means. Whatever she used to poison his drinking water must have been tasteless/odorless, which rules out ethylene glycol (unless Roman’s water was usually flavored with something—I have seen at my grocery store packets and drops for flavoring your water) but if she had used that particular substance, I think flushing it or pouring it down a drain would likely be considered contamination of a public water source.
Poor child! Hopefully his murderers will have long, miserable, lives in prison.

Edited to add: I did not realize they are not being charged with murder—what the...? Per this article linked below:
“The parents of a Placerville boy who died under suspicious circumstances more than a year ago have been arrested and are facing shocking child abuse and poisoning charges, but will not face murder charges, authorities said Thursday.”
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article249007855.html

 

[kaen]

On the poison being in the water supply (in some way), I tend to think she gave each of the other kids a little and put it in the water supply to lead people to believe that the poison came from outside of their home rather than inside. She didn't count on the dehydration and malnutrition belying that something bad was happening. I am sure his internal organs were damaged. Poor little guy. I am so sorry for him and his mom and her family.

 

[kaen]

I have been looking at poisons. It seems like arsenic and strychnine are the most easily attainable. Hopefully, we will know what she did someday.

Arsenic and Drinking Water from Private Wells | Wells | Private Water Systems | Drinking Water | Healthy Water | CDC.

CDC Strychnine | Facts about Strychnine | Public Health Emergency Preparedness& Response

 

[Ontario Mom]

I would think it would affect anyone who drank the tap water.

She apparently added poison to Roman's foods, medicine, and drinks so it's clear she was targeting him. That doesn't necessarily mean she didn't try to harm any of the other children, though. I suspect they were all in danger.

Imo

I agree, whatever poison she was using would affect anyone drinking the contaminated water she put it in. For whatever reason I had the impression that at home, it was only Roman that was ingesting poisoned water, food, etc. But for some reason the wording in the charges is that she also put the poison in public water (in some way). I guess I'm wondering if she confessed that after they found Roman, she flushed whatever she was giving him, and that's how the wording of the charges makes sense. Entirely speculation, of course.

 

[Ontario Mom]

On the poison being in the water supply (in some way), I tend to think she gave each of the other kids a little and put it in the water supply to lead people to believe that the poison came from outside of their home rather than inside. She didn't count on the dehydration and malnutrition belying that something bad was happening. I am sure his internal organs were damaged. Poor little guy. I am so sorry for him and his mom and her family.

How would any random person have available access to a public water supply though?

 

[kaen]

How would any random person have available access to a public water supply though?

I have access to my local reservoir, in fact, some people can go out fishing on it. I have had a well at one of my homes--it is easy to uncap it and poison the water. Arsenic can leach from pipes so putting it in the drains and in the sinks would mean that any testing would show it in the supply. Not sure but I am curious as to what the charges refer to....

Just my random thoughts.

 

[realanastasia]

2892 Coloma St, Placerville, CA 95667 | Zillow

This is the address from which he was reported missing.

• Irrigation Water: Public District, Meter on Site
• Utilities: 220 Volts, All Electric
• Domestic Water: Public District, Meter on Site
• Sewer: In & Connected

So the house had a public water source and (I think) was connected to the public sewer, so anything going down the drains here would eventually end up back in the public water supply—am I understanding this right?

 

[kaen]

2892 Coloma St, Placerville, CA 95667 | Zillow

This is the address from which he was reported missing.

• Irrigation Water: Public District, Meter on Site
• Utilities: 220 Volts, All Electric
• Domestic Water: Public District, Meter on Site
• Sewer: In & Connected

So the house had a public water source and (I think) was connected to the public sewer, so anything going down the drains here would eventually end up back in the public water supply—am I understanding this right?

Yes, you are. She could have dumped the chemical in the toilet or down the sink and created a health hazard.

From the FDA:

How to Safely Dispose of Unused or Expired Medicine
The best way to dispose of most types* of unused or expired medicines (both prescription and over the counter) is to drop off the medicine at a drug take back site, location, or program immediately.
If you cannot get to a drug take back location promptly, or there is none near you, and your medicine is
on the FDA flush list, your next best option is to immediately flush these potentially dangerous medicine down the toilet.
not on the flush list, you should follow these instructions to discard the medicine in your trash at home.
*Check out the Medication Disposal Q&A for more information including how to dispose of needles and syringes.

Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know

 

[Gibbo214]

On the poison being in the water supply (in some way), I tend to think she gave each of the other kids a little and put it in the water supply to lead people to believe that the poison came from outside of their home rather than inside. She didn't count on the dehydration and malnutrition belying that something bad was happening. I am sure his internal organs were damaged. Poor little guy. I am so sorry for him and his mom and her family.

Dehydration would have intensified the poison levels.

 

[Niner]

So - from all the articles that were posted & the ones I could access - I came up with this. If incorrect - please let me know!

Jordan Piper charged (2/4/21) with child abuse likely to cause injury or death & causing cruel & extreme pain for revenge, extortion or sadistice purpose, also charged with willfully failing to provide food, shelter & medical attention to the child. $1.5M bond.


Lindsay Piper charged (2/4/21) with child abuse likely to cause injury or death & causing cruel & extreme pain for revenge, extortion or sadistic purpose & also charged with a violation of poisoning. $1.3M bond.
Piper willfully & unlawfully mingled a poison & harmful substance with food, drink, medicine & pharmaceutical product & placed a poison & harmful substance in a spring, well, reservoir & public water supply.


Also - notice that some articles said their court date would be in the next couple of days - anyone have an actual date? Search on court site costs $$....

TIA!

 

[Peppery]

Could poisoning the public water supply come from when sweet Roman used the bathroom? Whatever was in his body would be partially excreted and flushed into the public sewer system.

 

[Seattle1]

Roman Anthony Lopez

Parents charged with abuse, poisoning in 11-year-old's death

 

[ChiCubs2016]

Roman Anthony Lopez

Parents charged with abuse, poisoning in 11-year-old's death

LP facial expression in the article photo is so eerie to me. I know mug shots are not glamorous but it just looks sinister. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article249007855.html

Feb 4, 2021

The police chief said both defendants were arrested where they were living — identified in Calaveras County sheriff’s jail logs as a motel on Highway 4 in Arnold. They were arrested without incident and made no statements, Wren added.

The chief also declined to discuss the nature of the charge involving poison.

“I can tell you we have evidence that proves each of the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt that they were arrested for,” Wren said.

A source familiar with the case said “there is no question he was abused” while living with the Pipers, but that no murder charges were filed.

“He had a terrible life for the period of time that he was there,” the source said, adding that the boy’s actual cause of death may never be determined.

The Pipers were caring for seven other children in the home on Coloma Street at the time of Roman’s death. Wren said that one of the children turned 18; three of the children, who were not related to the Piper family, were returned to their biological family; and three remaining children were placed with Child Protective Services.

Police said Roman’s body was found hours after he was reported missing from his home Jan. 11, 2020. Until Thursday, authorities had provided no details about Roman’s death or the investigation. On Thursday, they reiterated the sensitive and ongoing nature of the case.

 

[MsBetsy]

Could poisoning the public water supply come from when sweet Roman used the bathroom? Whatever was in his body would be partially excreted and flushed into the public sewer system.

I think it's more likely that she deliberately contaminated a water source, knowing it could cause harm. Maybe after Roman died she poured the incriminating evidence down the drain or flushed it. Imo

 

[Niner]

Well - I did find a Case Calendar & looked thru 2/12 with no hearings for them....

 

[Emerald1328]

I know my kids don’t ever finish a cup of what they’re drinking so it could just be that whenever he was finished drinking his drink, she just poured the rest into the sink like we all do. I doubt she was considerate enough to think, “Oh, I should pour this outside so no one else gets hurt”. What a horrible thing to do to a human, especially a little boy.