Placido Moreno Torres, 49, was found guilty as charged of two counts of Second Degree Murder with a Firearm and one count of Attempted Second Degree Murder – Possessing a Firearm following a three day trial in Lee County. The jury returned a verdict in 35 minutes. Torres faces up to life in prison at his sentencing on February 26th.
The crime happened outside of the defendant’s Lehigh Acres home in June 2016. It started with Torres and one of the victims, a 44-year-old woman, arguing. The argument became physical when Torres struck her and she yelled out for help. A 20-year-old Good Samaritan male neighbor who lived next door came outside to try and intervene but Torres held up a revolver and shot him and the woman. As this happened, the neighbor’s sister came outside and tried to help her brother. Torres then pointed the gun at her face, pulled the trigger, but the gun did not discharge. She was able to drop to the ground and roll away, then Torres fled on foot.
The second victim, though shot once in the side and once in the back, was able to use his phone to call 911 and tell them who shot him. His family then put both gunshot victims in their SUV to try to get them to the hospital to save their lives. They were met down the street from the crime scene by an ambulance. Both victims were pronounced dead on scene.
Deputies found Torres the next morning hiding in the backyard of another person’s home where he was arrested.
Assistant State Attorneys Tyler Lovejoy and Leena Marcos prosecuted the case.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
239-533-1125
ssyoen@sao20.org