Winnebago man sentenced for strangling woman

OMAHA, Neb. (KCAU) – A Winnebago man will serve two and a half years in prison after being convicted of strangulation.

Seth Lopez, 21, was convicted Friday in federal court of strangulation of an intimate or romantic partner, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Nebraska. He will serve 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release afterward. There is no parole in the federal system.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the victim told the Winnebago Police Department on Dec. 7, 2022, that she had been assaulted by Lopez earlier that night at his residence. She came with a witness.

The witness was helping the victim gather her things to leave when Lopez attacked her, according to a news release. He then allegedly threw the victim on the bed and put his hands around his neck and exerted pressure. The witness was yelling at him to stop, but when he let go and the victim tried to leave, Lopez allegedly pushed her into a closet and said, “Where do you think you're going?” »

Lopez then took her back to bed with his arm around her neck. When she tried to scream, Lopez put his other hand over her mouth, stopping her from screaming and breathing. However, Lopez's father heard what was happening, came and told Lopez to let the victim go.

According to the witness, Lopez also pulled out a knife and pointed it at the victim when she wasn't looking. However, he didn't use it.

After the attack, the victim had bruises and red marks on his neck.