Tyler Murder Suspect in Custody

TYLER – A suspect is in custody in connection with the death of a one year old boy. Simon Lopez, 26, has been taken into custody in Querétaro, a state in North-Central Mexico, by the Mexican Federal Police Thursday. Lopez, who was A U.S. Marshals “15 Most Wanted” fugitive,
was expelled from the country, and U.S. Marshals transported him from Mexico to Houston Friday. There he will be arraigned by a District Judge on the Capital Murder charge in the death of Jeremy Silva, 1, of Tyler. Authorities have been searching for Lopez since late last November when a warrant was issued for his arrest. Lopez fled after he dropped the 18-month-old boy off at the home of one of the boy’s aunts, according to Tyler police officials. The boy was not breathing at the time.

Lopez was babysitting his girlfriend’s two children while she worked in Lindale that day, and had reportedly left the children home alone while he took his girlfriend, Emma Torres, to work. The young boy was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital by his aunt. An autopsy report showed that his death was caused from a torn atrium in his heart, a result of blunt force trauma to his chest, officials have said. The report also indicated that Jeremy suffered prior abuse, including several broken ribs and bruising to his body, according to Tyler police.

“We said from day one that we would not stop until Simon Lopez was caught and that there would be justice for Jeremy Silva,” said Dan Phillips, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Texas. “All of the officers on this case have put in long hours and have been incredibly vigilant in ensuring that we did everything we could to get him in custody. Their efforts are a testimony to the fact that we will not rest until justice is served.”