A man was sentenced for violently attacking two women, and killing one of them, after breaking into their home in Del Cerro, prosecutors confirmed Friday.
The judge told 21-year-old Eduardo Torres that no punishment would be enough, before sentencing him to life in prison without parole for the brutal attacks.
Judge Michael Smyth said he couldn't imagine a worse scenario than feeling safe at home with your family and having that sense of safety violated in such a horrific, violent and tragic way.
Torres was convicted of first-degree murder and felony sexual assault. In June 2016, he smashed a glass wall and broke into a home on Mill Peak Road and Genoa Drive. Once inside, he sexually assaulted and stabbed two women.
A 74-year-old woman hid in her room, but Torres broke the door down and stabbed her to death. He then started attacking the younger 50-year-old woman, before police officers broke in.
As one of the victims' relatives testified about the devastating trauma she experienced, explaining what it felt like to lose a loved one, Torres kept interrupting.
Torres was eventually removed from court after he repeatedly tried to interrupt the judge and the victims’ testimony. Smyth continuously warned Torres to stop talking, but he kept saying the voices in his head were instructing him otherwise.
"Mr. Torres you need to stop talking now," said Smyth. "It's my turn to talk."
Local
Finally, his removal was requested, and more than half a dozen deputies forcibly escorted Torres from the court.
A prosecutor said the victim and her relatives were incredibly brave to face the defendant in court.
"I think they were very courageous and brave to be able to stand in front of Mr. Torres who committed such a heinous act in their home and really express from their hearts how they felt about it," said Deputy District Attorney Marisa Di Tillio.
A relative of the woman who was killed said her death is a "trauma" his family will always have to endure.
Before the sentencing began, Torres tried to fire his attorney, but the judge denied his request. He will spend life in prison with zero possibility of bail.
