On February 11 1989, Elisa Izquierdo made was born into the world. Born at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, Elisa had a loving father, Gustavo Izquierdo and a diabolical mother, Awilda Lopez. Gustavo, a Cuban immigrant working as a chef at a local homeless shelter, met Awilda.
However, Awilda fought the monster of drug addiction throughout her life and the pregnancy. Baby Elisa was born addicted to crack cocaine. Following the birth, Awilda’s drug usage and high-risk lifestyle persisted.
Gustavo, concerned for the life of Elisa, petitioned the court for full custody of Elisa. The courts promptly obliged.
Without the first idea of how to be a father, Gustavo set out to learn. With the help of co-workers and friends, he became an expert on feedings and diaper changes. Elisa was his little princess. Continuing to work long hours at the shelter, neighbors and friends of Gustavo would help watch Elisa as he earned his wages. On occasion, she would accompany him to work and co-workers would care for her.
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In 1990 Elisa was enrolled in pre-school at the local YWCA’s Montessori Preschool. Every morning her father would wake up and iron a clean dress for her. Gustavo learned how to do her hair and she always styled pigtails, braids, or buns. Gustavo was a proud papa.
He would take Elisa to the circus and other child-friendly events frequently. Friends and family recalled his wallet being loaded to the brim with her pictures.
During 1990, Awilda produced a signed affidavit to the court stating that she has overcome her drug addiction and has found permanent residence, with her new husband, at the Farragut Houses in Brooklyn.
Awilda petitioned the court and by 1991 she was granted unsupervised visits with Elisa. She would spend the weekends with Awilda, her husband, and other two children at their apartment in lower Manhattan.
Elisa’s other two siblings, of her mother’s, would soon tell neighbors that every time Elisa visited, she would be beaten by Awilda and accused of being possessed by the devil. Poor Elisa was singled out amongst the siblings to be abused.
The neighbors never approached authorities and Elisa began to become withdrawn and depressed. Losing her natural, happy glow. Gustavo and Elisa’s teachers at Montessori began to notice regular bruises when she would return from her weekend visits at her mother’s.
One time, during a routine nightly bathing, Gustavo noticed that Elisa had bruising around her private region. Elisa, soon, began to wet the bed and often become sick once arriving back at her father’s. Gustavo was concerned for his baby girl and immediately contacted New York’s Child Welfare Administration.
All findings were reported by Gustavo. One of Elisa’s teachers substantiated the findings to the case worker, and Elisa told a social worker about the beatings.
Gustavo petitioned the courts and during 1992 the visits with Awilda ceased for a period of time.
However, they would soon be ordered again.
Gustavo fell behind on Elisa’s tuition payments. The school recommended them to Prince Michael, a benefactor. Prince Michael was so impressed and touched by the father and daughter that he erased all tuition debt and personally vouched to fund Elisa’s entire private school education, until college.
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Elisa celebrated her fifth birthday in 1994. At this time, she took the screening test for the prestigious Brooklyn Friends School. The brilliant little girl passed with flying colors.
Issues with Awilda and the abuse beginning to amplify and grow more dangerous, Gustavo had made a plan to protect Elisa, with his cousin, Elsa Canizares. Gustavo purchased plane tickets and was going to take Elisa back to Cuba and raise her in his hometown. Safe from Awilda.
Gustavo, although, did not expect to come down with lung cancer. The exact day the plane was scheduled to depart, May 26th, 1994, Gustavo was rushed to the hospital due to respiratory issues. He immediately passed away.
After Gustavo’s death, a custody battle broke out in the New York courts. Elsa Canizares and Awilda Lopez were fighting tooth and nail for custody of Elisa. Elsa just wanted to keep her safe from her monster mother.
Awilda’s case workers and Elisa’s court appointed attorney both testified, on behalf of Awilda, that Elisa would benefit from being with her mother. Elisa’s teachers and Prince Michael spoke the opposite.
Despite the overwhelming evidence why Awilda was not fit to mother, Elisa was failed by the Child Welfare System and placed in the custody of Awilda, her husband, and, now, six other children, by Judge Phoebe Greenbaum.
Elisa, forced to move in with Awilda, began to endure the abuse again.
Awilda removed Elisa from her prestigious schooling and transferred her to public schools. Public schools reported Elisa to be withdrawn and unresponsive. Sunken. Public school teachers noticed Elisa’s bruises and defensive behavior. They promptly reported this to the Child Welfare System. However, the investigators, somehow, found the claims to be unsubstantiated.
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Upon discovering that the school reported Awilda, she immediately removed Elisa from public schools. Without private or public schools, Elisa now had no place she could escape from Awilda’s abuse. Awilda kept the little girl locked in her room. Trapped 24/7, Elisa was forced to defecate on the bed because she wasn’t allowed to use the restroom.
Her mother began spreading rumors to relatives that Elisa was, once more, possessed by demons. That she was the devil’s child. Awilda’s brother and sister believed her absurd claims and never questioned their sister.
Neighbors later reported that they often heard Elisa screaming for help. Begging for her mother not to hurt her. They stated that they believed it was just her reaction to her mother’s disciplinary efforts.
The torture continued. Elisa was forced to watch her siblings chow down on food while she only received her own excrement to eat. Awilda would use her head as a mop, beat her, burn her, and sexually assault her with various objects. Carlos Lopez, Awilda’s husband, would even encourage the other children to beat and maime Elisa.
Something wasn’t right with, now six year old, Elisa.
Awilda called her sister and stated, “Elisa is like retarded on the bed.” She told her sister that she had some type of fluid leaking from her nose and mouth as well. Later to be determined as being brain fluid. Awilda left Elisa on the bed.
The following day, she asked a neighbor to come inside for an opinion. The neighbor instantaneously called emergency services. However, it was too late for innocent Elisa.
At six years old, Elisa was pronounced deceased.
Awilda eventually confesses. Once pressed by authorities, she states that two days prior she hit Elisa’s head off of a concrete wall. Twice. She said that the little girl hadn’t talked or moved since the incident.
The medical examiner’s heart hurt for Elisa. The torture she endured couldn’t be imagined. Her body, riddled from agonizing abuse, had numerous injuries. Her fingers were broken (one with a bone sticking out). She had burns and cuts all over her head, face, and body. The autopsy showed signs of torn genitalia, torn rectum, and trauma on/in both.
Elisa could have avoided this all if Child Services had reacted appropriately to the reports.
The community pulled together and raised money to give Elisa a proper funeral service. However, the funds were not needed due to the funeral being donated.
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Elisa’s tiny white coffin, that only allotted four pallbearers, sat in Ponce Funeral Home in Brooklyn, New York, where a crowd of over 300 attended to pay the innocent victim their respects.
Rudolph Giuliani, New York City Mayor at the time, was in attendance.
Responding to the death, Giuliani formed the Administration for Children’s Services in 1996. This would be the first free-standing organization dedicated to child services and required to report directly to the mayor.
Giuliani made it his mission to tear the Child Welfare System apart. It needed rebuilt from the ground up to ensure children, like Elisa, aren’t victimized.
“Elsa’s Law” was also put into effect in New York. This law loosened the confidentiality requirements surrounding child welfare investigations and provides more protection to the child reportedly abused.
In 1996, Awilda Lopez took a deal and plead guilty to second degree murder, after maintaining innocence for months. She claimed to have sought a deal so her other children did not have to relive the event.
However, most say it’s her show of false sympathy and remorse. Awilda is sentenced to 15 years to life at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, New York.
She has since been relocated to Albion Correctional Facility in Albion, New York.
Beginning in 2012, Awilda received her first rejection for parole. All attempts for parole, since, have been denied and she is currently still incarcerated.
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