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Upper West Side family identified after being found dead in apparent murder-suicide

Crime scene on Upper West Side
A family of four were found dead in an Upper West Side home on Aug. 28.
Photo by Dean Moses

Police have identified the Upper West Side family of four found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in their apartment on Monday afternoon.

According to police sources, the gruesome discovery was made by cops inside of 328 West 86th St. at around 3 p.m. on Aug. 28, after they were asked to perform a wellness check.

Inside the fourth-floor home, responding officers found 41-year-old Edison Lopez and 40-year-old Alexandra Witek with apparent stab wounds. Their two young children — 3-year-old Lucien Lopez and 1-year-old Calvin Lopez — were also found deceased with stab wounds.

Police Investigating Murder-Suicide
Photo by Dean Moses

Sources familiar with the investigation report that the children’s grandfather knocked on the apartment door and when he did not get an answer, he called 911.

FDNY gained access to the premises and discovered Witek in the hallway with multiple stab wounds. The children suffered fatal wounds to the body, leaving great amounts of blood. Edison Lopez, meanwhile, apparently had a neck wound.

According to Jeff, a resident of the building who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, Edison Lopez was a Venezuelan superintendent of the building and was about to embark on a new job upstate. 

Police Investigation on Murder-Suicide
Photo by Dean Moses

“I always thought he was a really good guy; I have known him since he was like 20 years old. He’s the super of our building and we all like him,” Jeff said. “He told me he was leaving for a new job.”

“I have never seen anything like this. I have lived here for 40 years,” Flora, another local resident said.

A heavy NYPD presence remains in the area as detectives comb over the scene. Police did not indicate if they are actively looking for a suspect.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell 

This story was updated on Aug. 29 at 10 a.m.

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