Eduardo Hernández López, a 66-year-old Cuban living in Miami, has been arrested for allegedly misusing U.S. government benefits intended for his mother, who has been missing since April 2023. He admitted to not providing "adequate care or assistance" while they lived together.
During police questioning following his arrest last Thursday, Hernández López—also listed in official records and media as Eduardo López Hernández—confessed to neglecting his mother due to feeling "uncomfortable seeing her unclothed," according to his statement.
He now faces additional charges of aggravated abuse against an elderly or disabled adult, on top of existing accusations. His mother, Edis López Collazo, an 84-year-old Alzheimer’s patient, vanished on April 6, 2023, from the Allapattah neighborhood in northwest Miami, where they resided.
Miami police have been searching for the elderly woman since her disappearance, but there have been no developments or sightings of her to date.
Financial Exploitation and Arrest
Two days prior to her disappearance, on April 4, 2023, Miami Fire Rescue responded to their home following a minor head injury Edis sustained from a fall. Hernández López provided false information about her whereabouts, as per the arrest report.
He was apprehended on May 14 at 11 a.m. at a gas station located at Northwest 27th Avenue and 36th Street, Allapattah, and was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center that night.
Investigators discovered that Hernández López had disconnected his mother's phone to save money and used her Social Security benefits and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card to cover household expenses.
Detectives calculated the total financial loss at nearly $18,600, after reviewing the missing woman’s financial records and identifying active 2024 supermarket transactions, supported by surveillance footage showing Hernández López using her card.
Contradictory Statements and Video Evidence
A pivotal piece of evidence in the investigation was a neighbor’s video, which had a clear view of their porch and completely contradicted the accused's statements.
Hernández López had told police he left his mother on the porch while fetching food and returned 40 minutes later to find her missing. However, the video revealed he left much earlier and didn’t return for almost 10 hours. The footage never showed his mother outside the house or in the vicinity.
The accused provided inconsistent accounts of the elderly woman's location during detective visits: on March 28, 2024, he claimed a man told him she traveled to Cuba, despite records showing her last visit to the island was in 2004.
In a second police visit on May 8, 2024, Hernández López alleged the same person informed him that "the saints" revealed she was in Cuba, according to the affidavit.
He didn’t participate in a press conference seeking public help in finding his mother, citing health issues, nor did he request updates from detectives, according to authorities.
Legal Consequences and Background
Besides the new charge of aggravated abuse against an elderly or disabled adult, Hernández López faces charges of organized fraud, theft from an elderly person, identity theft, and public assistance fraud. His bail was set at $62,500.
The Cuban has a lengthy criminal history: in 1993, he was sentenced to 12 years for armed robbery and armed burglary, and in 2001, he was sentenced to five years for breaking into an unoccupied dwelling, cocaine possession, and using a false license plate, being released in July 2005.
Miami Police spokesperson Kiara Delva confirmed detectives suspect foul play in the disappearance, though they haven't directly linked the son to it: "Despite the significant time since her disappearance, detectives remain very active in this investigation; our homicide detectives continue to work on the case, and we want to remind the community that the smallest lead can help solve it."
Key Questions on the Missing Mother Case
What charges is Eduardo Hernández López facing?
He is facing charges of aggravated abuse against an elderly or disabled adult, organized fraud, theft from an elderly person, identity theft, and public assistance fraud.
When did Edis López Collazo disappear?
She was reported missing on April 6, 2023, from the Allapattah neighborhood in northwest Miami.
What was a key piece of evidence against Hernández López?
A neighbor’s video that contradicted his account of leaving his mother on the porch was a critical piece of evidence.