OMAHA — The family of a local young woman whose death police consider to be suspicious remember her big smile and her even bigger heart.
Milagros Lopez, 23, of Omaha, died at the Nebraska Medical Center after being found in alley behind her home near 23rd and Castelar streets at about 3 a.m. Thursday, police said.
Lopez’s cause of death remains unknown, but it does not appear that she died from gunfire or being stabbed, Omaha Police Department Lt. Neal Bonacci said. Police are searching for a “dark-colored, newer model car,” possibly a Chrysler 300, that was seen leaving the area around the time of the incident.
Lopez was the baby sister in a "huge" family, according to her sister, Jennifer Toledo. Born and raised in Omaha, Lopez graduated from Omaha South High School and went on to work full-time after graduation.
A young woman with a deep love for family, Lopez would call each of her siblings almost every day. She loved spending time with her nieces and nephews and embraced her role as the "cool aunt."
"She was so full of life," Toledo said. "She loved so hard and never held a grudge. And she always lived her life to the fullest, because she always said that she knew tomorrow wasn't promised."
Lopez dealt with legal troubles in recent years and was facing potential jail time for felony possession of a controlled substance, THC concentrate, a charge that was filed earlier this year. She had also been charged with a misdemeanor DUI in November 2022 and was scheduled to appear in court on both charges in the coming months.
But in the weeks before her death, Toledo said, Lopez was most excited about going back to school. She had registered for classes for the upcoming semester, and though she was still unsure about what she wanted to study, she was considering following in Toledo's footsteps and taking automotive engineering courses.
Toledo said the family doesn't have any more information about the circumstances of Lopez's death than the public, but is working tirelessly to find answers.
Bonacci said Monday that officers from the homicide and traffic units are investigating the death. Police ask anyone with information about Lopez's death to contact the homicide unit at 402-444-5656 or contact Omaha Crime Stoppers anonymously at 402-444-STOP, at omahacrimestoppers.org, or using the P3 Tips mobile app.
"We hope somebody has the heart to speak up so we can get justice for her," Toledo said. "Somebody potentially did this to her, and whoever did it didn't even have the heart to get her help. They just left her there as if she was nothing, when she was everything to us."
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