Homicide Defendant’s Roommate and a Friend Testify in Homicide Trial

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On Nov. 7, a homicide defendant’s brother and a friend testified about their knowledge of the case before DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe.

Marvin Lopez, 43, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of his former girlfriend, 27-year-old Evelyn Arroyo on Dec. 24, 2014, on the 3900 block of 14th Street, NW. Lopez allegedly threatened her with death if she left him.

The prosecution began by calling Lopez’s and Arroyo’s roommate at the time of the murder back to the stand.

According to the witness, Lopez had never mentioned moving out of their shared apartment, or moving back to El Salvador. She also testified that she had never seen him pack any of his belongings, saying the last time she saw Lopez was earlier the day of Arroyo’s murder.

The prosecution then called Lopez’s brother who said he was at a Christmas Eve party when he was informed of Arroyo’s death. However, Lopez was not there, and the brother didn’t see him at all that night.

The witness further testified that he saw Lopez in El Salvador in 2019 five years after the murder, for their aunt’s funeral. He described feeling “bad” about seeing Lopez at the event.

During cross-examination Lopez’s defense attorney, Justin Okezie, asked if Lopez traveled to El Salvador frequently prior to the incident, to which the witness described that he did.

Okezie said that, “in El Salvador, Christmas is a big, important holiday”, and that “it is not unusual for a Salvadorian with the resources and availability to travel to El Salvador for Christmas to be with their family”.

Okezie also asked if the brother were close enough to Lopez to know his constant whereabouts. The witness replied he did not always Know Lopez’s whereabouts.

Then the prosecution called a former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective assigned to locate and apprehend Lopez. According to the detective, he spoke to multiple family members who seemed scared to provide information.

According to the detective, a few months after the murder they were able to find a man with information that placed Lopez back in his home country of El Salvador. T

Parties will reconvene Nov. 8.

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