SPRINGVILLE, Utah, Dec. 24, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A man charged with the shotgun murder of his mother Wednesday night in Springville has been released from the hospital and booked into the Utah County Jail.
Mike Lopez, 23, is facing a single count of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony. His mother, who died at the scene, was 43-year-old Victoria Ramirez.
Springville police were called to the family residence, at 944 S. 1000 East, by an adult daughter of the victim.
“On Dec. 23, 2020 an adult female called the Springville Police Department and reported her juvenile sister had called her and stated their brother had just shot their mother,” Lopez’s probable cause statement says. “The juvenile ran approximately a half a block north of the residence.
“Officers arrived at the home and located one adult female who was identified as Victoria Ramirez deceased at the kitchen table. Victoria had a single gunshot wound to the neck.”
The report says a 14-year-old daughter of Ramirez was found at the residence.
“Officers cleared the residence looking for the brother, Mike Lopez, the statement says. “Lopez was found downstairs in the basement in the bathtub. A shotgun was leaning up against the tub where Mike was at.”
Lopez had no physical injuries, “but was acting unresponsive,” the officer’s statement says. “Mike was transported by the Springville Ambulance to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. A warrant was obtained for Mike’s blood and it came back positive for THC.”
The two juvenile females were transported back to the Springville Police Department and interviewed.
The 17-year-old girl said the family came to the table to eat dinner, “and Mike walked in with his shotgun. Mike placed the shotgun on the table pointed towards his mother. Mike then picked up the gun and pointed at his mother,” the probable cause statement says.
“Mike turned towards his 14-year-old sister and they gave each other a head nod. The 14-year-old sister got out of her chair and walked towards the bathroom.”
The 17-year-old sister said she heard her mother say, “I know your going to kill me” to her son. The older teen “didn’t believe the gun was loaded and ran to the bathroom to check on her little sister,” the statement says.
“The 17 year-old said ” … she turned around at the bathroom door, just in time to watch Mike shoot their mother in the neck with the shotgun. Mike then walked over and grabbed the 14 year old by the arm and they started dancing. The 17 year old old locked herself in the bathroom and climbed out the window, ran north from the residence and then called her adult sister who lives in Spanish Fork,” the probable cause statement says.
“The 17 year old stated she believes her 14-year-old sister knew this was going to happen because the circumstances she had witnessed.”
The older teen said her brother had purchased the shotgun and a handgun the day before. She also reported Mike has been supplying marijuana to her 14-year-old sister.
“She stated Mike has been acting really strange lately where he has been meditating a lot where he claims to go to different dimensions and talking about a lot of bad people.”
The 14-year-old girl also was interviewed. The reporting officer said she “was acting very strange, she admitted she and Mike have been together a lot lately and they take turns sleeping so they can watch over one another.”
The younger teen also said she went with Lopez to Sportsman’ Warehouse the day before, and was there when he purchased the two guns.
“When asked about her mother she claimed it wasn’t her mother who was shot. When we asked who it was she stated it was someone else. She claimed she was in the bathroom when the shot went off. I asked her about dancing with Mike after he killed their mother. She looked at me and smiled and stated she remembered dancing and then she was trying to recite the song for me.”
The younger teen denied having any knowledge that Lopez was going to shot their mother, the statement says. The officer noted “She did not show any emotion during the interview.”
Officers transported Lopez to the hospital. Doctors there stated they believed Lopez was faking his unresponsive condition, the probable cause statement says. Physicians cleared Lopez to be booked into jail.
Lopez continue to be non-responsive until he asked why he was going to jail, the statement says. Lopez was read his Miranda Rights and agreed to talk.
“Cpl. Curtis explained to Mike he was going to jail for shooting his mother. Mike told Cpl. Curtis someone told him to do it and it was like ‘deja vu.'”
Lopez is being held with no bail due to fears he might flee to join his father, who reportedly fled to Mexico due to a criminal investigation, and due to fears Lopez might hurt other family members and friends, the statement says.
