Metro Transit Police have arrested a Maryland man on felony child abuse charges following an incident in September aboard a Green Line train in Washington, D.C.
Espinosa L. Lopez, 37, of Greenbelt, Maryland, was ordered held without bond pending a pretrial hearing scheduled for Oct. 2.
The victim, a 13-year-old girl, reported to police that she was aboard a Metrorail train at Georgia-Avenue Petworth Station on Sept. 11 when Lopez allegedly sat down next to her, exposed himself and began inappropriately touching himself. When the victim asked the suspect to move so that she could leave her seat, the suspect allegedly placed his hand on her and asked, "Why are you leaving so soon?"
The victim pushed past the suspect, exited the train and reported the incident to a family member, who contacted police. The victim was not physically injured.
Metro Transit Police detectives immediately began an investigation--reviewing hours of digital video from multiple Metro stations--to find the suspect, subsequently identified by detectives as Lopez.
"This case has been an extremely high priority for us since it was reported," said Metro Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik. "While such behavior is never tolerated, these allegations are particularly disturbing because they involve a minor."
Lopez was arrested by MTPD officers without incident on Monday.
