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Missing Jessica G. Lopez 
Lopez, approximately 2019; Tattoo on Lopez's ankle; Matthew Mercado Date reported missing : 11/03/2019 Missing location (approx) : New Windsor, New York Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : Hispanic Age at the time of disappearance: 36 years old Height / Weight : 5'2, 123 pounds Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Hispanic female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Lopez has a tattoo of a red rose on the back of her neck, a tattoo of the words "Y Loca" on the side of her neck, and a tattoo on her left ankle; a photo of the ankle tattoo is posted with this case summary. She has a scar running from the left center side of her head to the back of her head, and a scar on her right ankle. Her ears are pierced and she has a mole above her left eyebrow. She may spell her first name "Yessica." At the time of her disappearance, Lopez had blonde highlights in her hair. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Lopez was last seen by at the Windsor Motel on Route 92 in New Windsor, New York in the early hours of November 3, 2019. She was staying there with her sometime boyfriend, Matthew Louis Mercado, She has never been heard from again. That evening, her silver 2005 Toyota Camry wit h the New Jersey license plate number JDC9597 was found abandoned at the Showtime Cinemas on Route 300 in Newburgh, New York, the town where she lived. On November 6, authorities arrested Mercado for an unrelated burglary charge: he allegedly broke into another room in the Windsor Motel at 1:30 a.m. on November 3 and stole a backpack and purse from three women who were sleeping there. He was still in custody on that charge a year later when, in November 2020, he was charged with second-degree murder in Lopez's case. Investigators believe she was the victim of a domestic violence homicide at the Windsor Motel on the morning she was last seen. They have not located her body and do not expect that they will find it. According to police, at about 5:00 a.m., Lopez tried to leave their motel room and Mercado restrained her and killed her. He subsequently deleted text messAge at the time of disappearance: s between them from his phone, and disposed of her phone. He put her body in the trunk of her own car and then disposed of the remains. One theory of the case is that Mercado unintentionally killed Lopez while committing or attempting to commit the crimes of robbery and/or kidnapping; another theory is that he deliberately caused her death. He is also charged with second-degree burglary, two counts of larceny, two counts of petty larceny, three counts of evidence tampering, one count of criminal possession of stolen property, and one count of second-degree criminal impersonation. Some of the charges are because he allegedly used Lopez's debit card to withdraw $1,500 from her bank account at 9:00 a.m., several hours after her death. Mercado is awaiting trial. If convicted of murder, he faces between 15 years to life in prison and 25 years to life in prison. A photo of him is posted with this case summary. Lopez worked as a substitute teacher at schools in Newburgh between 2007 and 2012, and then at a medical clinic, until she quit to take care of her sick father. Some accounts state she was last seen at her home on Dubois Street in Newburgh on November 1. Both New Windsor and Newburgh police are investigating her case. Foul play is suspected due to the circumstances involved. Other information and links : ncy New Windsor Police Department 845-565-7000 Newburgh Police Department 845-561-3131 |