Independent artist, bartender and Instagram influencer Eva Lopez is suing the New York Police Department (NYPD) and one of its police officers for $30 million after erroneously labeling her a thieving heaux on a wanted poster.
On Mar. 9, the 31-year-old Queens beauty, known as Eva_lo_dimelo on Instagram, and her attorney, Mark Shirian, filed a civil suit against the NYPD and Detective Kevin Dwyer for defamation and “negligent infliction of emotional distress.”
Court documents obtained by Sis2Sis revealed that Lopez discovered that her photo was distributed on a wanted poster on Aug. 16, after returning from Florida with her boyfriend, Jonathan Ruiz. Ruiz received a text message from a friend stating that Lopez’s image and the poster were circulating online, and the person inquired about the allegations. Dwyer allegedly may have used a photo from the influencer’s social media page.
The message on the poster read, “The Ninth Precinct Detective Squad is attempting to identify the subject pictured above for Grand Larceny. Aug. 3, 2021, the complainant’s roommate did reply to an online escort advertisement, and while the subject was at his apartment at 178 2nd Avenue, the subject did remove complainant’s Rolex watch valued at $13,000.00 and Chase credit card without permission of authority to do so (Case No.: 2021-1896; Complaint Report No.: 2021-009- 03371).”
Not only did the document reference Lopez as a thief but also an “escort.”
Lopez and her beau initially thought the image was a horrible prank until she received text messages asking about the picture. She took to Instagram to clear her name.
Still not fully grasping the gravity of the situation, Lopez realized the poster was indeed an NYPD wanted poster after her boss, Joelle, called to tell her that the wanted poster was authentic and she needed to contact the person listed to clear her name.
On Aug. 16, Lopez contacted Dwyer to explain the situation. The detective revealed that initially, he believed the suspect was the 31-year-old influencer because two victims confirmed her identity. Still, upon further investigation– he realized the actual suspect had a sleeve tattoo on her arm, and Lopez didn’t.
Dwyer reportedly attempted to mitigate the damage by removing the flyer from social media, but it had already been widely shared.
The woman and her attorney maintain that the detective and the department’s negligence have ruined her reputation.
The $30 million request for damages is to compensate her for mental anguish and harm to her reputation.
On Aug. 26, Lopez informed the NYPD and the detective of her claim for damages. A complaint was filed with the New York City Comptroller’s office.
According to its website, “The New York City Comptroller’s Office is responsible for overseeing the resolution and settlement of claims filed against or on behalf of the City of New York. After a claim is received, the Comptroller’s Office will investigate the claim. The Comptroller’s Office may extend an offer to settle the claim based on the results of the investigation.”
On Dec. 2, the plaintiff appeared at a hearing regarding the claim. However, the city failed “to resolve the claim,” Shirian explained.
More than 30 days have passed since Lopez initiated the claim, although Shirian and his client have followed the necessary protocol.
Lopez’s Instagram, which is now private, boasts 864,000 followers, and it’s difficult to determine how much the poster negatively affected her future earnings and work.
Being wrongly accused of a felony and then adding insult to injury by calling her a prostitute is a reality that Lopez has to live with for the rest of her life. The NYPD, Detective Dwyer and the city of New York should be held accountable.
