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Man Arrested For Allegedly Strangling Girlfriend To Death
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 12, 2011
Modified Apr 12, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 12, 2011
Modified Apr 12, 2011
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A Brooklyn man allegedly strangled and killed his girlfriend during an argument in their Sunset Park apartment, while their 7-year-old daughter and other relatives were sleeping. Daniel Elias fled the apartment and told his aunt to have someone check on girlfriend Cynthia Lopez. Elias's sister, who was in the apartment, ended up finding the 29-year-old woman "lying face up in her bed, unconscious."
A police officer called Elias, 28, who reportedly said, "'We had a fight. She tried to stab me and I choked her. Is she OK?'" and told cops where he was. He believed that Lopez was cheating on him and told the police that Lopez charged at him with a knife during their argument. (Lopez had also called her brother during the fight.) His mother told the Daily News, "He's a great man and a great dad."
According to the News, Elias went to his aunt's house after the fatal fight; she said, "He said she charged at him with a knife and he choked her... I gotta go... I know I'm going to jail. I love you."
None of the people in the apartment heard the fight; Elias was charged wtih murder.
Tagged
brooklyn
Cynthia Lopez
Daniel Elias
murder
self-defense
strangulation
sunset park
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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