A Pinal County family is grieving the loss of 43-year-old Christina “Tina” Lopez, a mother remembered for her vibrant spirit, laughter, and ability to brighten any room.
“The heartbreak is unbearable. It’s not supposed to be this way, at all,” her family said in a statement as they struggled to come to terms with her death.
Deputies allege that Tina was killed by her estranged husband, Javier Lopez, who is now facing charges in the case. Her parents, Priscilla and Keith Miller, said he could not accept the end of the marriage. “He couldn’t take it because he knew he would never get her back,” they told reporters.
Tina and Javier had known each other since their teenage years. Over time, her family said the relationship turned toxic, leading to her decision to separate from him in November. “The children have witnessed it, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She said she told me she woke up going to bed crying and waking up crying,” her parents recalled.
According to the family, Tina had begun the process of moving forward with a divorce when tragedy struck. “Unfortunately, I have to say, he took a life,” her parents said. On April 11, concerns grew when Tina failed to pick up one of her sons from a sporting event.
Deputies with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office went to her home, where they found her on the kitchen floor, stabbed 38 times. Investigators said Javier Lopez drove to the home with the couple’s son and admitted to the killing. Court records state that the murder weapon, along with Javier’s shirt and cell phone, were left at the scene.
The documents also revealed that the couple’s son heard his mother’s screams and cries from outside the home. “His kids are afraid of him,” Tina’s parents said, adding that she had been the primary caregiver and provider for her three boys.
“The way I know she would have raised her kids, her sons, that’s how we’re going to try. It won’t be mommy, but we’ll do our best,” they said, vowing to honor her memory through her children.
Javier Lopez is being held on a $1 million secured bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 19. Friends and loved ones have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Tina’s family and to honor her life.