PARAMUS — The man accused of slitting his mother’s throat with a box cutter and hiding her body in the family’s detached garage had a lengthy criminal history, and had threatened to kill two Paramus police officers eight years ago, according to court records.

Jesus Lopez, 30, was arrested Tuesday and charged with murdering Susana Lopez, 56, on Oct. 11, according to arrest documents. Paramus police found Susana Lopez’s remains Tuesday after conducting a welfare check at their Spring Valley Road home, the documents said.

Police were called to the home by Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services, an Elizabeth-based mental health provider, of which Jesus Lopez was a patient. Lopez had not been seen for several days, Bridgeway told police.

Police knocked on the family's door but got no answer, the documents said. So officers went in the house, where they found Jesus Lopez sitting alone in a bedroom.

“I killed my mother 13 days ago,” Lopez allegedly told Paramus police Lt. John Devine and Officer Ben Fox.

The officers immediately arrested Lopez when he said his mother’s body was in the garage, according to the documents. Devine found the key and officers went in the garage’s side door, where they discovered Susana Lopez’s decomposing body. The medical examiner later said it looked like her throat had been cut.

Two detectives — one from the Paramus police and another from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office — brought Lopez to the Prosecutor’s Office, according to the documents. On the way, Lopez made “spontaneous statements repeating several times that he killed his mother and specifically stating that he slit her throat with a box cutter in the living room.”

Lopez left her body in the home for three days, he allegedly told officers, before bringing it to the garage. Authorities said they later found a box cutter under the kitchen table.

Lopez is charged with murder, desecration of human remains, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and hindering apprehension from police. He is being held at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, according to jail documents.

CRIME:Death of woman in Paramus 'suspicious'; man in custody

CAR CRASH:Crash on Totowa Avenue in Paterson closes road for investigation

STABBING:Fairview PD: Rug maker stabs man over $135K debt

Neighbors knew Lopez as the troubled child of an aloof woman. Police were called to the home frequently — one neighbor, who declined to be named, guessed authorities were at the Lopez house once a month for the past 20 years.

Court records show Paramus police knew Lopez well — they arrested him several times in the past decade for a variety of crimes, including threatening police officers, possession of marijuana, possession of controlled dangerous substances and driving without a license.

Story continues below video

In the early morning hours of Oct. 2, 2009, Lopez was arrested for possession of marijuana, prescription drugs and drug paraphernalia. He then allegedly threatened to kill Paramus Police Officer Keith Bland — a third degree crime — specifically by “threatening to go get a gun and shoot P.O. Bland and get his boys to come look for him,” court documents said.

At about 9:30 p.m. the same day, Lopez threatened to kill Officer Matthew Parrello, of the Paramus police, and several other officers, court documents said. It resulted in a third degree charge of terroristic threats. Lopez also spat in Parrello’s face, a fourth degree crime.

Both cases were brought to Superior Court, but it was unclear Wednesday how they were resolved.

More recently, in August 2015, Paramus police charged Lopez with aggravated assault for pulling away from Officer Fox — the same officer that arrested him Tuesday — and pushing him in the chest, which is a fourth degree crime. The resolution of that case is also unclear.

The incidents, taken together, fed neighbors’ perception that Jesus Lopez was a disturbed young man with a penchant for trouble. Neighbors said the home had been on and off the market for about a year, and thought the Lopezes might have disagreed about selling the property. Many said Lopez and his mother kept to themselves.

One neighbor, Merrel Kovats, knew Susana Lopez as “Susie,” and said she could be difficult to get along with. Her son was pleasant, Kovats said, but had obvious problems. Police were at the house constantly, and sometimes Kovats heard screaming.

“It was like a bomb waiting to go off,” Kovats said. “It’s sad because it’s a life wasted in both counts. Even though I didn’t get along with them, I don’t like to see that happen to anyone.”

The home was still cordoned off Wednesday afternoon as authorities continued their investigation. A Paramus police car was parked nearby.

Despite the longtime strife, some on Spring Valley Road were still stunned by the alleged killing.

Taroob Waraich, who lives across the street with her parents and two sisters, said her family was confused and shocked.

“It happened in Paramus, one of the quietest towns in New Jersey,” Waraich said. “It’s such a quiet and peaceful neighborhood.”

Another neighbor, who declined to be identified, said he would wave to Jesus when he jogged by the Lopez house. Sometimes Jesus waved back, sometimes not.

The neighbor said the alleged murder horrified him.

“It’s a life gone for no damn reason,” he said.

Staff writers Melanie Anzidei and Katie Sobko contributed to this report.

Email: janoski@northjersey.com