EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an inmate at the El Paso County Jail Annex and six other inmates are being charged with murder in his death.
The following six inmates are now facing the following charges:
Manuel Alejandro Vargas, 31 – murder – $750,000 bond
Juan Alberto Ortiz, 18 – capital murder – $1,000,000 bond
George Lopez, 23 – murder – $750,000 bond
Jesus Adrian Rocha, 38 – murder – $750,000 bond
Jovani Dionicio Ramos, 29 – murder – $750,000 bond
Christian Carrillo, 25 – murder – $750,000 bond
Manuel Alejandro Vargas, 31.
Juan Alberto Ortiz, 18.
George Lopez, 23.
Jesus Adrian Rocha, 38.
Jovani Dionicio Ramos, 29.
Christian Carillo, 25.
Photo courtesy of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
KTSM has obtained court documents that show what led up to 57-year-old Jesus Torres’ death.
Court documents state just before 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 27, officers assigned to a pod at the annex discovered Torres laying on his bottom bunk and was completely covered with a blanket in room 1018.
An officer uncovered Torres and saw his head wrapped in a plastic trash bag that was full of blood, according to court documents.
Torres also had earphones wrapped around his neck and medical staff determined Torres had no signs of life.
A detective met with an individual who stated that before the incident, Vargas told them that he was waiting for confirmation from outside sources that Torres was an ex-Barrio Azteca gang member and also had other personal matters with Torres.
Vargas also told the individual that once he had confirmation, he was going to assault Torres and have him kicked out of the cellblock, according to court documents.
The individual also told the detective that on Sunday evening, Nov. 26 he saw several of the inmates head upstairs and assault Torres.
Court documents state that after the assault, Vargas told the individual that Torres wouldn’t die so he “grabbed him by the neck and punched him in the scrotum until he stopped moving and stabbed him in the eyes.”
Ortiz told the individual that he beat Torres with a cane. Rocha told the individual that he got several punches in on Torres and walked out to change his uniform “once his head was split open”, according to court documents.
Detention officials working at the annex provided surveillance footage of the assault and court documents state the following incidents took place:
Just after 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26, Torres is seen walking into room 1018.
Ortiz was already in the room when Torres walked in.
Vargas, Ramos, Lopez, Carillo and Rocha then enter the room.
Torres is seen sitting on his lower bunk and the inmates are standing around him and they appeared to be talking with Torres.
Minutes later, Carillo is seen exiting the room and walks downstairs to a door that connects to another cellblock where he retrieves a “kite” message from under the door.
At the same time, Torres is seen being struck multiple times by the other inmates.
Carillo goes back into the room and watches Torres as he’s assaulted.
Torres is also stomped on, kicked and struck with a wooden cane.
Carillo exits the room and remains outside on the top tier as a lookout as the assault continues to take place.
Ramos also acts as a lookout as he stands inside the room and obstructs the view.
Lopez is seen wiping down the floor and then exits the room and walks to a restroom that is located on the top tier.
Rocha is seen exiting the room and walks to another room that is directly underneath and swaps uniforms with another inmate.
Lopez is seen putting on his uniform while standing on the top tier and then reenters room 1018 and Ramos exits the room.
Ortiz, Vargas, and Lopez all remain in the room with Torres. Ortiz is seen beating Torres with the wooden cane.
Vargas is seen attempting to put a plastic trash bag over Torres’ head.
Lopez is seen standing by the doorway and blocks the view to the inside of the room.
Vargas is seen standing on top of Torres as he lays on the floor and Ortiz continues to assault Torres with the cane.
Lopez is seen wiping the floor with a towel.
Torres is placed back on his bunk as the assault continues.
At 7:45 p.m., Lopez exits the room.
Ortiz and Vargas remain in the room with Torres and are seen wiping and cleaning the floor.
Ramos and Carrillo remain as lookouts outside the room.
The assault on Torres continues as he lays in his bunk.
At 8:01 p.m., Ortiz and Vargas are seen exiting the room.
Just before 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 27, Torres is discovered unresponsive in the room.
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