Jose Torres, a dedicated 37-year-old member of the Spring Branch ISD Police Department, was remembered by his coworkers as a committed and caring individual. His tragic death has left a void for those who knew him.
On Friday, Harris County Sheriff’s investigators revealed that Torres had been trimming trees in his front yard before planning to pick up his wife and children from school.
Neighbor Lissette Acosta recalled seeing Torres shortly before his death. “I was going to work, and my van makes a little noise when I reverse, so we kind of stared at each other for a little bit. He was trimming the trees, and I was heading out,” she said.
According to court documents, while Torres was working in his yard, his 22-year-old nephew by marriage, Antonino Guzman, arrived at the house. Torres had helped raise Guzman for six years, treating him as his own child.
At some point, the two went inside the home, where investigators say Guzman shot Torres multiple times in the face, killing him.
When Torres failed to pick up his family from school, they got a ride home with a relative, only to discover his lifeless body. Acosta said she and her mother heard the family’s cries for help.
“My mom said the wife came to her, crying, saying, ‘They killed my little baby.’ She hugged my mom, and my mom started crying too,” Acosta recalled.
Guzman was arrested without incident on Sunday morning. Investigators credited a piece of home surveillance footage with leading them to the suspect.
“The wife informed law enforcement that the suspect had a gun, anger management issues, and a foot ailment,” the judge said during a probable cause hearing. “Officers located surveillance video from various sources showing the suspect limping as he fled the scene.”
After his arrest, Guzman reportedly confessed to the crime.
“He was Mirandized and gave a statement to law enforcement, admitting to going to the victim’s house and shooting him because he felt unloved and unwelcome,” the judge said.
Guzman was issued a $200,000 bond and is prohibited from contacting the family if released.
