Police say man molested sleeping girl after breaking into Dallas apartment
A 27-year-old man slipped into a Far North Dallas apartment through an open door and molested a teenage girl as she slept Sunday morning, according to police documents.
The 13-year-old’s father rushed to her aid and found Napoleon Romero Lopez hiding in a closet in the apartment, the documents said. A violent struggle ensued between the girl’s father and Lopez, who at one point bit the father’s left thumb.
“I’m in a gang, and I’m going to kill you if you call the police,” Lopez said, according to police.
Lopez is being held at the Dallas County Jail on multiple charges, including indecency with a child, burglary and criminal mischief. He is from El Salvador and is suspected of being in the country illegally, according to police and jail records.
“Anybody looking at this would be horrified about it and rightfully so,” said Dallas police Lt. C.L. Williams.
Investigators do not believe Lopez knew the girl or that he specifically targeted her apartment.
“Our sense is he was randomly trying doors and found one that was opened and went in and committed this offense,” Williams said.
Lopez is believed to have entered apartment in the 13300 block of Emily Road, near LBJ Freeway and North Central Expressway, about 8:05 a.m. The girl woke up during the attack and alerted her father, who had been on the patio, documents said.
After finding Lopez in the closet, the father grabbed him and escorted him down a flight of stairs, according to police documents. During the struggle, Lopez pulled a large clump of hair from the girl’s father’s head.
“There was definitely a struggle, as you might anticipate, but I think [the father] showed commendable restraint,” Williams said.
Someone in the home called 911 and officers arrived and arrested Lopez. Once he was handcuffed and in the back of a squad car, he “became irate, violent and belligerent,” documents said.
Lopez “slammed his head multiple times on the cage and vehicle windows,” injuring himself, documents said. He “then bit the left rear door panel several times,” causing about $100 worth of damage to the police cruiser.
Officers took him to jail, where he was being held on $202,500 bail Tuesday night, according to jail records.
Lopez, who lives near the apartment complex, has no known criminal record in Dallas County, and there is no indication he committed other similar crimes on Sunday.
The girl did not suffer serious physical injuries. Her father was treated at the scene for his injuries.
Williams said the case highlights the importance of basic home security measures, such as being sure to keep doors and windows locked.