TRAGIC: Colorado Teen Beaten to Death by Ex-Boyfriend

A horrific crime was committed here in Colorado earlier this month, as a man allegedly beat his ex-girlfriend to death in a parking lot.

The woman has been identified as 18-year-old Danielle Hopton of Fort Collins. Police say that her ex-boyfriend, 20-year-old Stephen McNeil was spending time with Hopton and another friend the night of the alleged murder, Saturday, February 6th, when things quickly turned south in a parking lot of a Fort Collins apartment complex.

Allegedly, Hopton and McNeil exited the vehicle they were in and began arguing in the parking lot, at which point McNeil physically assaulted Hopton to the point that another acquaintance felt it was necessary to call the police.

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Authorities arrived at the scene to find a severely beaten Hopton and transported her to the hospital where she would later succumb to her injuries. While police have not elaborated on specifics as far as her injuries, it's reasonable to assume that they were extremely severe based on the outcome of this story.

Police would later arrest McNeil and another man, 20-year-old Ian Reyes in connection to the killing.

McNeil has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of Hopton, and Reyes has been charged with an attempt to influence a public servant and accessory to a crime.

Friends and loved ones remember Hopton as a caring, loving person that had a warm heart for animals, as she spent a good amount of her time volunteering at an animal shelter. The story is still developing.

[New York Post]