Attractive young lady with promising future beat to death by ugly boyfriend

A woman who was found fatally injured in a Fort Collins parking lot last weekend has been identified by the Larimer County Coroner’s Office as 18-year-old Danielle Hopton of Fort Collins.

The man arrested by police following her death, 20-year-old Stephen McNeil, appeared in Larimer County District Court on Friday morning.

Friday afternoon, Fort Collins Police Services announced the arrest of a second person, Ian Rayas, also 20, of Timnath.

The three were among a group of friends who drove to the Whispering Pines Apartments at 525 East Drake Road late Saturday night, according to a press release from Fort Collins Police Services. Investigators learned Hopton and McNeil, who had been in a relationship, stepped out of the car to talk. McNeil then allegedly assaulted Hopton. Other members of the group called 9-1-1 as McNeil left the scene, according to police.

Hopton died at the hospital.

Police arrested McNeil at noon the next day.

Rayas was questioned by investigators but denied knowing either McNeil or Hopton or anything that happened between them that night, police stated.

But investigators found “evidence to the contrary” and arrested him Thursday.

A GoFundMe page raising money for the Hopton family has already exceeded its $20,000 goal. On the page, Hopton was described as “a gorgeous, loving, kind and caring young woman” who volunteered at a local animal shelter and helped her father raise guide dogs for the blind.

[link to denver.cbslocal.com (secure)]