An Upper West Side family found dead in a suspected suicide in their apartment has been identified as the building’s super, his wife, and their two sons, sources said Tuesday – noting that one of the children’s bodies was very bloody, police initially misidentified his gender.
Edison Lopez, 41, is believed to have stabbed his wife, Alexandra Witek, 40, and their two sons – 3-year-old Lucien and 1-year-old Calvin – before killing himself Monday, police sources told The Post.
The bodies of the boys in particular were in such a gruesome state when they were found that investigators initially mistakenly identified them as male and female, sources said.
The couple will be moving because Lopez has gotten a new job – and may have been under pressure to vacate their apartment before the shocking incident, people who know them said.
“I saw him on Friday… he said he was leaving for another job and they gave him like two weeks to get out,” a longtime family friend, who declined to give his name, told The Post Tuesday of his last interaction with Lopez.
“He’s upset or something… like, worried. I’ve never seen him like that,” continued the friend, who has been a super on the same block for 35 years.
A doorman outside the family’s building also recalled seeing Lopez looking upset when he took the older boy to camp on Friday.
Lopez, Witek and their son were found at their home on West 86th Street near Riverside Drive around 3pm on Monday. Facebook / Ola Witek
Edison Lopez, 41, is believed to have stabbed his wife, Alexandra Witek, and their two sons, 3-year-old Lucien and 1-year-old Calvin, before killing himself, according to police. COPY ART
The medical examiner’s office released one of the four bodies found in an Upper West Side apartment Monday.William Miller
The employee and another janitor at the building, who both declined to be named for fear of losing their jobs, also said there was talk of Lopez moving after he apparently found another job in Westchester.
Neighbors said Lopez and Witek had grown up on the block together, met very young and went to high school together.
His father used to be the doorman across the street, and his father was the foreman of the couple’s building until Lopez took over for him.
Both are first-generation Americans, with Lopez’s family originating from Venezuela and Witek’s roots being in Poland.
“They grew up here,” said the super friend and family, adding that she was “shaking inside.”
Witek’s body (left) was found in the hallway with a deep wound on his neck. Facebook / Ola Witek
“This is crazy,” said the frustrated man. “I have known him since childhood and he is still young. I have seen them together when they were young.”
Becoming emotional, the super said he often sees the family on the block, noting that the boy’s grandmother often takes care of the couple’s young child while Witek takes care of their baby.
“I have seen families together all the time. They are good,” he lamented.
“I didn’t see this coming,” he added. i have never seen [Lopez] angry, never. I never saw them fight.”
“He used to be a substitute in my building when he was a teenager,” the man added of Lopez, “then his dad left and he stayed and he became super.”
Before the murder, the family had no history of emergency calls indicating any domestic disputes, the source said.
Police gathered outside the family’s home after the body was found.William Miller
Lopez, Witek, and their son were found at their home on West 86th Street near Riverside Drive around 3 p.m. when Lopez’s father called Witek’s younger brother after not being able to contact the family since Sunday, the source continued.
The brother, who is the superintendent of a nearby building, alerted authorities after he and his father drilled into the apartment’s lock and saw blood inside.
Investigators initially found the two children in the living room with multiple stab wounds and two knives nearby, sources said.
Witek’s body was found in the hallway with a deep wound to his neck, while Lopez was found lying on a bed in a bedroom, sources said.
Edison Lopez is the superintendent of the West 86th Street apartment building where his family lives.James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
The father of two also had a stab wound to his neck, and a knife was found next to him.
The four individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.
The apartment door was locked from the inside, police said.
A distraught onlooker reacted to the news of the family’s death on Monday evening. James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
Moments before the body was found, the two doormen and the super on the block all recalled seeing Lopez’s father walk quickly out of the building to get a nearby hammer before returning.
“He went to another building to get a hammer. He quickly got back out and he was back there [to the apartment]. That’s when he probably saw it,” the superhero said of the horrifying moment Lopez’s father saw blood in his son’s home.
Another family friend, who said her last name is Barrera, told The Post the family’s death left her “feeling like death.”
“It feels like someone in my family [died],” the 84-year-old said from the doorway of the apartment building, where a bouquet of flowers had been placed on Tuesday.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona and Amanda Woods
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free, confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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