Brother charged with killing sister in Rock Hill says in court: ‘I didn’t murder Lisa’
A man Rock Hill police said “brutally murdered” his sister in November after she gave him a place to stay claimed innocence in his first South Carolina court appearance.
Lisa Rosenzweig’s body was found Nov. 9 at her Cauthen Street home in Rock Hill.
Anthony Louis Lopez, 39, had been in jail in North Carolina since early December after Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested him on a fugitive warrant in Rosenzweig’s death. Friday’s court hearing came after South Carolina officials extradited Lopez to face the murder charge.
Police and an arrest warrant say Lopez hit Rosenzweig, 53, in the head.
Lopez told Judge Sara Russell Friday afternoon in Rock Hill Municipal Court, “I’m innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, yes?”
He added, “My name’s being brought up but I didn’t murder Lisa — just for the record.”
Rock Hill police Detective Robert Smith said in court that Rosenzweig allowed Lopez to stay with her on Nov. 7, “to get him off the street.” Court records show Lopez has no permanent address.
On Nov. 9, Rosenzweig’s daughters asked police to do a welfare check at the house. Police found Rosenzweig dead in what officers say was an attack by Lopez two days before.
“He brutally murdered her,” Smith told Judge Russell in court. “I will spare you the gory details.”
Smith did not say what the possible motive was, or what Lopez allegedly used to beat his sister. The arrest warrant says she was struck with “an unknown object.”
Lopez told the judge he did not want to hire a lawyer or apply for a public defender.
“I want to represent myself,” he said.
Lopez told Russell if she gave him bail he would stay in Rock Hill, possibly at a shelter, and would show up for court as required.
Russell denied bail at the end of the hearing, saying that only a higher Circuit Court judge at the York County Courthouse can set bond in a murder case where the minimum penalty for a conviction is 30 years in prison.
Lopez remains at the York County jail until at least his next court appearance, where he can ask for bail.
