Father and step-mother arrested on multiple charges after death of 11-year-old El Dorado County boy

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Almost 13 months after 11-year-old Roman Lopez was found deceased in his Placerville home, his father and step-mother have been arrested on multiple criminal charges including child abuse, poisoning and torture.

The Placerville Police Department and El Dorado District Attorney’s office held a press conference Thursday, announcing the arrests of Jordan Piper, 36, and Lindsay Piper, 38, in Calaveras County.

Roman was reported missing on January 11, 2020 from a home on Coloma Street in Placerville. At the time Roman was reported missing, he lived in the home with his biological father Jordan Piper, stepmother Lindsay Piper, and seven additional children ranging in age from 1 to 17 years old. The family had only lived in the community for about two months at the time the report was filed.

After an initial search for Roman was unsuccessful, a second, more extensive search of the home was launched. Placerville Police investigators located Roman deceased inside a storage bin in the basement.

Although an autopsy revealed no obvious trauma, Roman was found to be severely malnourished and dehydrated at the time of his death.

An investigation into the death of Roman commenced using all available resources from the Placerville Police Department and El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office with assistance from the El Dorado County and Calaveras County Sheriff's offices.

Much of this case involved the analysis of forensic evidence, to include obtaining search warrants to seize electronic devices, review data, and working with medical professionals as well as experts in the field of child abuse. Adding to the complexity of this case was how often this family moved and the various agencies they had encountered. The combined investigative team contacted multiple agencies, in another state, including child protective services, medical providers, law enforcement agencies and courts.

After a thorough investigation of the facts in the case, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office has decided to file charges against the Pipers, including violations of Penal Code Section 273a(a) - Child Abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to produce great bodily injury or death; and Penal Code Section 206 – the crime of Torture. Furthermore, Jordan Piper was charged with a violation of Penal Code Section 270 - Failure to Provide for a Child, and Lindsay Piper was charged with a violation of Penal Code Section 347(a) - the crime of Poisoning.

The Placerville Police Department and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office said they would like to thank Roman’s loved ones, who never lost confidence in their ability to leave no question unanswered.

"Our hearts will forever be with them all. We understand this case brings many questions and emotions within our community, but our commitment to conduct a thorough investigation has never stopped," Placerville PD said during the press conference.

The Pipers are currently in the El Dorado County Jail in Placerville. Lindsay's bail is $1,300,000 and Jordan's is $1,050,000.