MAN SENTENCED TO 107 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR ATTACKING FIVE WOMEN IN VIOLENT 5-HOUR CRIME SPREE THAT INCLUDED KIDNAPPING, TORTURE, AND ATTEMPTED MURDER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 14WF0218     

Date: August 9, 2018

MAN SENTENCED TO 107 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR

ATTACKING FIVE WOMEN IN VIOLENT 5-HOUR CRIME SPREE

THAT INCLUDED KIDNAPPING, TORTURE, AND ATTEMPTED MURDER

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced to 107 years to life in state prison today for attacking five women, including stabbing, kidnapping, torturing, and attempting to murder a victim during a 5-hour crime spree in Anaheim and Garden Grove.

 Circumstances of the Case

• On Jan. 16, 2014, De La Torre attacked five women within a short distance of one another in Anaheim and Garden Grove between approximately 5:15 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
• At approximately 5:15 p.m., the defendant passed Jane Doe 1 as she was walking home from work in Garden Grove and attempting to engage her in conversation. He attempted to kidnap the victim with the intent to commit a sex crime.
• De La Torre repeatedly beat the victim in the back of the head with his fist and attempted to pull down the victim’s pants, then fled the scene.
• Prior to Jane Doe 2’s arrival home at 7:15 p.m., the defendant entered the victim’s residence.
• De La Torre grabbed Jane Doe 2 as she entered her house and stabbed the victim in the arm and back as she struggled.
• Jane Doe 2’s boyfriend walked inside the home and De La Torre fled the scene.
• At 7:50 p.m., Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4 were in the hallway of their Anaheim hotel attempting to enter their room. De La Torre attempted to force his way into the room when the victims opened the door.
• The defendant stabbed the victims in the head, face, and arms and attempted to murder Jane Doe 4, then fled the scene.
• At approximately 9:00 p.m., De La Torre passed Jane Doe 5 while she was jogging in Garden Grove. The victim noticed a person following her and turned around.
• The defendant punched her in the face, knocked her down, and repeatedly assaulted her while pulling at her clothes. De La Torre then fled the scene.
• De La Torre was arrested on Jan. 18, 2014 after the Anaheim Police Department and Garden Grove Police Department investigated this case and identified the defendant.

At the sentencing today, three of the victims and one of the victim’s mothers read impact statements. One stated, “You see it wasn’t just me you attacked that evening with your angry blows to my head and arms with your knife. You attacked my entire family, my heart, my soul and my reason for everything.” Another said in part, “The first few months after the attack were the most challenging. I struggled with my appearance. It was difficult walking around campus…people would constantly stare at me due to the bruising, swelling and stitches.” The mother of one of the victims explained that after the attack, her daughter, “lost her bright smile that was always a part of her before this monster attacked her.” The third victim stated, “I did not see myself as a target or to become a victim. A victim though to me is someone who has not overcome, and I have and will continue to do so. Therefore, I am not victim but a victor.”

Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Bobby Taghavi, Sexual Assault Unit