PEDRO LOPEZ
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Mid-century Colombia was filled with unrest as the assassination of a popular politician led to civil war and riots. It was in this atmosphere that Pedro Lopez was born in 1949 to a poor prostitute. At eight years old, he was kicked out of his home when his mother found him engaging in sexual activity with one of his younger sisters. Out on the city streets of Tolima, Lopez was sexually molested and consequently withdrew from most social interactions, finding himself able to trust anyone. He begged for money and scrounged garbage bins for food to survive while wandering the streets for a year.
At one point, an American couple took pity on the young Lopez and offered him their home as a place to sleep. He took the offer and was enrolled into a school for orphans. Unfortunately, he was once again sexually assaulted by one of the teachers, causing him to steal from the school's coffers, run away, and promise to never let himself be victimized again. He turned to a life of crime where he discovered he had a talent for car theft and earned good money selling the vehicles to chop shops. At the age of 18 though, he was caught and sentenced to seven years of prison. Quickly though, Lopez found himself a victim of gang rape while incarcerated. Lopez then fashioned a shiv from a utensil and killed the four men involved in the incident. As it was considered self-defense, only one year was added to his term. Once released, he began to wander South America. It was here that he says he began his rape and murder of young girls, blaming his upbringing, mother, and ability to interact with women normally. Lopez targeted children of native ethnicity, as they're a minority whose concerns are often ignored. Lopez was even caught and tortured once by a group of Ayacuchos in Peru who caught him trying to kidnap one their children. His life was spared only due to the intervention of missionaries who convinced the tribe to hand Lopez over to the authorities. The local government merely deported him though. In Ecuador, Lopez attempted to kidnap another girl from her mother in broad daylight. The mother cried out though, and local citizens managed to tackle him down and turn him over to the police. There, Lopez confessed to killing over 300 young girls. While his claim was met with disbelief, Lopez offered to lead officers to the graves of his victims. Over 50 bodies were found around the area during this excursion. Lopez was sentenced to life in prison and still faces charges in Peru and Colombia for various murders. |