Court hearing postponed for parents accused of child abuse in Placerville boy’s death
The parents of Roman Lopez, who are accused of child abuse in the death of the 11-year-old Placerville boy, decided on Tuesday to give attorneys and the court more time before proceeding with their case.
Jordan and Lindsay Piper, Roman’s father and stepmother, are accused of child abuse likely to cause great bodily injury or death and causing cruel and extreme pain for revenge, extortion or sadistic purpose. Jordan Piper is charged with an additional count of willfully failing to provide food, clothing, shelter and medical attention to the boy.
Lindsay Piper is charged with a separate count of willfully having “mingled a poison and harmful substance with food, drink, medicine, and pharmaceutical product and placed a poison and harmful substance in a spring, well, reservoir and public water supply” knowing it could cause injury. The Pipers on Monday pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Last week, Placerville police officials revealed that “investigators located Roman deceased inside a storage bin in the basement” of the Pipers’ home hours after he was reported missing from his home Jan. 11, 2020.
The case against the Pipers returned Tuesday to El Dorado Superior Court to schedule a preliminary hearing, in which testimony will be heard and evidence will be presented for the judge to determine whether there’s sufficient evidence for the Pipers to stand trial.
Defendants in California have a right to have a preliminary hearing within 10 court days of their arraignment. The Pipers on Tuesday afternoon decided to waive that right and postpone scheduling their preliminary hearing, said Joe Alexander, El Dorado County Chief Assistant District Attorney.
Alexander said the Pipers were scheduled to return to court March 8 to schedule their preliminary hearing. The two will remain in custody at the El Dorado County Jail.
