Investigators say phone records show the woman was gravely injured before emergency help was called.
NORTH MIAMI, Fla. — A 41-year-old North Miami man was arrested after police said he sexually battered his severely burned girlfriend before she was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Juan Andres Lopez faces a charge of sexual battery of a physically helpless victim, along with drug-related charges, after detectives reviewed cellphone videos, search history and messages tied to the Jan. 27 death. The woman’s name was redacted in records cited by police. She was 23.
North Miami police were called to a home in the 400 block of Northwest 125th Street after Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to a report involving the woman. Investigators said she had burns over 80% to 90% of her body. Medics took her to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where doctors pronounced her dead. Lopez told responders that the woman used rubbing alcohol while cleaning after a stray cat defecated inside the home, then lit a candle that set her on fire. Police said the cause of the burns remained undetermined.
Detectives said Lopez did not seek prompt medical care and instead recorded videos after the woman was injured. In one video, police said, the woman was seen in a black plastic tote inside a shower with what appeared to be soapy water. Detective Brian Bohne wrote that Lopez’s phone searches included questions about treating second-degree burns and burn pain, as well as searches tied to narcotics and police searches of a home. Bohne wrote that the searches showed Lopez knew how serious the injuries were.
Police said additional messages showed Lopez discussing drugs after the woman was burned. Toxicology results later showed cocaine, fentanyl, ketamine and methamphetamine in the woman’s blood. Investigators did not publicly release a final cause or manner of death in the reports cited by local outlets. Detectives also said they found a video from Jan. 27 showing the woman unresponsive during an alleged sex act. The warrant said she made no sound or movement that showed she could consent.
Lopez was arrested Friday and booked into Miami-Dade jail. A judge ordered him held without bond on the sexual battery charge and drug counts, according to jail and court records cited in reports. Police said he also tried to delete one of the videos on Feb. 2. It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors would file more charges tied to the woman’s death.
A neighbor told Local 10 there had been “definitely red flags” at the home and said police spent time serving warrants after the woman was taken away. The neighbor said the search looked careful and organized. Lopez, identified in an arrest report as a Texas-born security guard, remained held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Monday.
The case now moves through Miami-Dade court while detectives continue reviewing digital evidence, phone records and medical findings. Prosecutors have not announced whether any additional charges are planned.
Author note: Last updated May 19, 2026.