LEOMINSTER – On Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, Leominster Police Officer Jonathan Ramos was dispatched to Monarch Street following a report of individuals running and yelling in the area.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narratives of Officer Jonathan Ramos and Detective Michael Kochanski and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
‘’While en route to the call, dispatch advised that there was a stabbing that had occurred,” Officer Ramos said. Officer Ramos said dispatch continued relaying information about the involved parties, including a caller’s report that they had last been seen at Country Farms Fabian, (also known as the Fabian gas station) on North Main Street.
“As I drove past Moore Street while travelling northbound on North Main Street, I observed two individuals flagging me down,” Officer Ramos said. “I continued to Fabian based on the information provided and requested Officer [Garrett] Hardy to return to Moore Street.”
When Officer Ramos arrived on scene, he entered the gas station and spoke with the clerk about the reported stabbing, who told him that no stabbing had occurred inside the gas station.
“I returned to Moore Street where the fire department was already on scene,” Officer Ramos said. “I observed a male party laying in the street with a severe laceration to his leg and moderate amount of blood on the ground.”
According to police, the victim, who suffered a serious stab wound to his lower torso and leg area, was treated at the scene and transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was reported to be in stable condition and undergoing surgery at the time of the report.
Due to the severity of the situation, Officer Ramos said he requested that a detective respond to the scene.
“While the fire department was rendering aid to the male party I inquired with bystanders if they saw what transpired, but they did not,” Officer Ramos said. “Dispatch later advised that there was a female party matching the description provided by the caller in the area of the McGovern Hyundai dealership.”
Officer Ramos said that Officer Michael Dingman then advised that he was out with a woman who was later identified as Aslie Jimenez.
Officer Ramos responded to Officer Dingman’s location with Officer Hardy.
“Aslie was detained without incident,” Officer Ramos said. “I returned back to the scene.”
Shortly afterward, Detective Michael Kochanski arrived to assist with the investigation. Upon his arrival, Detective Kochanski instructed Officer Ramos to tape off the scene to prevent contamination. Officer Ramos established a crime scene perimeter with caution tape and briefed Detective Kochanski on the preliminary facts of the incident.
At this time, a nearby resident approached Detective Kochanski and told him that he contacted the owner of Sunroof Sound & Security because the business has security cameras that may have captured the incident.
“He told me that he had called the owner of Sunroof Sound & Security,” Detective Kochanski said. “I asked him to contact the owner again and ask him to come to his store so that he could access his surveillance cameras.”
While waiting for the owner of Sunroof Sound & Security to arrive at the scene, Detective Kochanski spoke with the witness, who said he had been working underneath his vehicle when he heard yelling from the Rail Trail area.
“He stated that he could not really see anybody, but when he was able to get out from under his car, he saw a white/grayish blur run by his location,” Detective Kochanski said.
The witness told police that when he looked back toward the area where the yelling had occurred, he saw another individual standing there before the person fell to the ground. The witness said he then ran over to help.
At around this time, Detective Kochanski said he was informed that the owner of Sunroof Sound & Security had arrived at his store.
Detective Kochanski and Officer Ramos then went to the store, where they met with the owner and reviewed security footage showing Moore Street toward the Rail Trail, the front of the store adjacent to North Main Street, and the side parking lot along North Main Street.
The footage showed a man wearing a white t-shirt, pants, and sneakers walking with a second man dressed in dark clothing and a woman dressed entirely in white and wearing black slides.
Detective Kochanski said the man in the white t-shirt was later identified as the suspect, Christopher Lopez, the woman was identified as Aslie Jimenez, and the second man was known only as “Flaco.”
According to police, Christopher Lopez, 43, is a resident of 21 State Street, Apt. K, Leominster, MA.
At approximately 8:30 p.m., the three were caught on the surveillance footage walking together up Moore Street toward North Main Street. Lopez then ran back down Moore Street toward an individual at the Rail Trail. Jimenez and Flaco appeared to grab Lopez and try to pull him away from the victim, but they were unsuccessful.
Lopez is then shown in the surveillance footage brandishing a knife as he runs back down Moore Street toward the person at the Rail Trail. Jimenez and Flaco again attempt to pull Lopez away and move him up Moore Street, but they are unsuccessful. Detective Kochanski said this is when Lopez stabs the victim.
After the attack, Detective Kochanski said Lopez then walks up Moore Street towards North Main Street with Jimenez and Flaco. The three then walk past the front of Sunroof Sound & Security, where Lopez is seen on the surveillance footage holding the large knife in his hand. The three then walk out of the store’s front camera view and are picked up on the side parking lot camera and then continue walking along North Main Street toward the Fabian gas station.
“In the footage you can observe Christopher clearly in possession of a large machete while on Moore Street, consistent with the severe leg injury to [the victim],” Officer Ramos said. “The footage also depicts Aslie and Flaco attempting deescalation measures, trying to prevent a further disturbance with Christopher. The parties then walk away from Sunroof Sound & Security, but it is unclear whether the machete was hidden or concealed on Christopher’s person. I conducted a search of the area, but was unable to locate the weapon.”
Detective Kochanski later spoke with Jimenez after she had been detained and was seated in the rear of a cruiser. Officer Dingman had read her Miranda rights, and Detective Kochanski said she agreed to speak with police.
“I then opened the rear door to the cruiser, introduced myself to the female, asked for her name to which she stated Asli Jimenez and I asked her what had happened a little while ago,” Detective Kochanski said. “She told me that she had been at her sister-in-law’s…apartment on State Street all day, went back home around 7:00 p.m., and then left to go to Fabian gas station to get some food. I asked her how did she get from State Street to the gas station and she explained to me that she walked by the yellow fence along and went to the gas station.”
Detective Kochanski said that after he informed Jimenez that she matched the description of the woman who was captured on surveillance footage with the suspect during the stabbing incident on Moore Street, she eventually told him that she was with her boyfriend, Chris Lopez.
“I asked her to tell me the truth about who she was with while walking to the gas station,” Detective Kochanski said. “Ms. Jimenez eventually told me that she was with her boyfriend Chris Lopez. I asked her if she knew his date of birth, she told me that he is 43. I asked her where he lives and she did not know.”
When Detective Kochanski asked Jimenez what Lopez was wearing, Jimenez said he was wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, and shoes.
“I asked Ms. Jimenez if she knew where Chris might have gone and she told me that she did not know,” Detective Kochanski added.
When Detective Kochanski asked Jimenez what happened before the stabbing, she said that Lopez and the victim knew each other because they both live on State Street, and yesterday, they got into an argument.
Detective Kochanski asked Jimenez what the argument was about and she said she didn’t know.
“She further states that she and Chris were walking from State Street to the Rail Trail, onto Moore Street to go to the Fabian gas station,” Detective Kochanski said. “This is when the victim…comes out of the woodline of the Rail Trail and confronts Chris. She tells me that Chris kept walking while Avery kept yelling at him, ‘This is how it’s going to be.’”
According to Detective Kochanski, Jimenez said Lopez attempted to walk away, but the victim continued yelling at him. She said she did not see Lopez stab the victim and did not know what happened to the knife afterward.
“Ms. Jimenez was asked if she knew about the knife, she told me ‘no,’ I then asked if she knew what happened to the knife afterward and she stated ‘no,’” Detective Kochanski said.
Jimenez then informed Detective Kochanski that her seven-year-old daughter was home alone and police conducted a well being check on her.
“When officers gained access to the apartment, the female was not there, Officer [Nicholas] Rice did state that it appeared that the shower was just used due to the water dripping along the shower wall, shower curtain, and the steam from a hot shower still being in the air,” Detective Kochanski said. “It’s at this point, I instructed the officers to post outside of the apartment to make sure no when entered the apartment.”
Detective Kochanski said that, having the knowledge of what was observed inside her apartment, he asked Jimenez if she would consent to a search of her apartment on State Street for clothing and the knife used in the stabbing, and she consented. (Court records indicate that Jimenez and Lopez live in different apartments in different buildings on State Street).
“She stated ‘yes,’ I then read her the consent to search paperwork to which she stated she understood and signed,” Detective Kochanski said. “She did ask if we were going to tear up her apartment during the search, I explained to her that she could be present inside while the search was going on. I also explained to her that, we were only searching for Chris’s clothing and the weapon used during the search and she told me that she understood.”
Detective Kochanski then obtained an RMV photograph of Lopez and showed it to Jimenez, who confirmed that he was her boyfriend.
Detective Kochanski then went with Officer Ramos to conduct a consent search of Jimenez’s apartment. The officers then conducted a protective sweep of the apartment but didn’t find anyone inside.
“I was also unable to locate any bloody clothing connected to the incident or the machete,” Officer Ramos added.
After the search of Jimenez’s apartment, responding officers met in the parking lot of Adams Tool on North Main Street to discuss the next steps. At this time, Detective Kochanski said Detective Oswaldo Ramos was at the station writing an arrest warrant for Christopher Lopez.
Once the warrant was signed, Detective Kochanski coordinated with the Massachusetts State Police Special Tactics and Operations Team, known as the STOP team, to execute the warrant at Lopez’s apartment on State Street.
“This was done due to Christopher Lopez being the suspect in the stabbing, his extensive BOP, and not knowing what he had access to inside the apartment,” Detective Kochanski explained.
Officer Ramos remained at the scene for some time afterward and cleared once the Massachusetts State Police STOP team arrived.
Upon arrival, STOP team members covered Lopez’s apartment building at 21 State Street while a Massachusetts State Police negotiator contacted Christopher’s sister, who lives with Lopez in the apartment. The negotiator asked her to tell Lopez to exit the apartment and follow the STOP team’s commands.
A short time later, the STOP team supervisor informed Detective Kochanski that Lopez had been taken into custody. Leominster police then took custody of Lopez from State Police, and he was transported to the Leominster Police Department for booking.
After Lopez was taken into custody, Detective Kochanski along with several other Leominster police officers and detectives, returned to Lopez’s apartment at 21 State Street to speak with Lopez’s sister, and his sister-in-law, who also lives with Lopez and his sister in Apartment K.
Detective Kochanski said Lopez’s sister consented to a search of the apartment, but officers did not locate the clothing or knife connected to the stabbing. Crime Scene Services photographed the apartment for documentation.
Detective Kochanski said that, after returning to the police station, he entered the cell area and asked Lopez if he wanted to speak with him. Lopez agreed.
Lopez was then placed in shackles, handcuffed, and escorted down the hallway to an interview room.
“Christopher explained to us that he had an encounter with the victim which he refers to as ‘kid,’” Detective Kochanski said. “I asked him to name him and he told me that he could not do that.”
Lopez said that earlier in the week, he went to State Street to hang out with a group of people. Lopez said the “kid” wouldn’t shake his hand, so he continued about his business and ignored him. According to Lopez, the “kid” continued speaking to him despite being ignored before eventually removing his shirt in an apparent attempt to fight him.
“Christopher then tells us that on Wednesday while he is at work, he gets a phone call from a buddy stating that he saw the ‘kid’ hanging out in the tree line by his girlfriend’s building and thought it was odd,” Detective Kochanski said.
Then, on Wednesday after work, Lopez said that as he and his girlfriend, Jimenez, decided to walk to the Fabian gas station, the “kid” emerged from the bushes and confronted him again. Lopez said he initially walked away but returned after the victim continued yelling at him and appeared to become increasingly agitated.
“Christopher stated that he did put a knife in his pocket because he feared for his safety, and his girlfriend’s safety due to the erratic behavior of the ‘kid’ over the past couple of days,” Detective Kochanski said. “Christopher told us that it got to the point that the ‘kid’ would not leave him alone, so he pulled out the knife, went after the ‘kid’ and stabbed/sliced him in the thigh area. After Christopher did this, he left the area with his girlfriend and an unknown male, which is seen on video surveillance.”
Detective Kochanski asked Lopez where the knife is and he said he couldn’t tell him.
“I explained to him that it would be helpful to know the location to make sure it was not in the woods along the Rail Trail for someone to pick up. He told us that he could not tell us where it was,” Detective Kochanski said. “Christopher did ask numerous times the status of the victim and was concerned that he had died.”
Lopez was then informed that the victim had left the hospital and was in stable condition. After the interview was concluded, Lopez was placed back into a holding cell.
Christopher Lopez, 43, of State Street in Leominster was charged with the following:
- Assault to Main
- Assault & Battery with Dangerous Weapon, Serious Bodily Injury
Lopez’s arraignment was scheduled for the morning of Aug. 13, 2026, in Leominster District Court.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in August, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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