KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The man found with a homicide victim’s truck is now facing a charge of grand theft of a vehicle out of Osceola County.
Altamonte Springs Police say officers stopped Nicolas Lopez in Charles Harper’s blue pickup truck during a traffic stop. This was two hours after Kissimmee Police found Charles Harper dead in the backyard of a home on Heather Way on Thursday.
Detectives say 71-year-old Charles Harper died from blunt force trauma. So far, Kissimmee Police have not named a suspect or person of interest in Harper’s death.
According to the Seminole County Jail, the vehicle grand theft charge was added Friday night after Lopez was initially charged with resisting arrest and false identification.
According to the arrest report, an officer pulled Lopez over on Thursday afternoon after seeing him abruptly change lanes. Police say Lopez immediately got out of the truck instead of staying inside and repeatedly told officers to call the police.
The officer drew a taser before Lopez complied and got on the ground. Investigators say Lopez refused to identify himself at first and later gave officers a false date of birth.
It was during that stop, around 12:40 Thursday afternoon, that officers discovered the blue pickup truck was registered to Charles Harper.
Altamonte Springs Police say Harper’s cellphone was pinging in the area where Lopez was stopped.
No word on if Lopez knew Harper.
We are working to get more information on the latest charge against Lopez.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
