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Freeport resident Dennis Lopez, 20, was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison for the murder of Angel Soler in July 2015. Lopez pleaded guilty to the murder, which came about because he thought Soler was in a rival gang.
Soler’s body was found in October 2017 in a wooded area in Roosevelt, months after he was reported missing after riding his bike from his home. Soler’s mother has stated that she brought him to the United States to get away from gang violence in their native Honduras.
Lopez, an admitted member of the gang, used a machete to kill Soler on July 21, 2017. His body was found on Oct. 19 that year. Further investigation determined that Soler also suffered blunt-force trauma to his head.
“Dennis Lopez and his co-defendants helped lure innocent 15-year-old Angel Soler into the woods and relentlessly hacked him to death,” Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said. “This young man’s family had to endure three months of not knowing where Angel was, until his body was found in a remote area and covered in concrete.
“Due to extraordinary detective work, we were able to locate Angel’s body and arrest those responsible for his murder. With today’s sentence, we’ve held Dennis Lopez accountable for his heinous actions, and we are ready to try his co-defendants for this senseless murder.”
Charges are still pending against other co-conspirators implicated in Soler’s murder. They have pleaded not guilty.
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