El Paso inmate beaten, stabbed to death over alleged Barrio Azteca ties

Editor’s note: This story contains reporting that some readers may find disturbing.

An inmate was brutally strangled, stabbed in the eye and beaten to death at an El Paso jail because of his alleged ties to the Barrio Azteca gang and "personal" issues with one of the suspected killers, documents state.

Jesus Torres, 57, was found dead with a plastic bag filled with blood wrapped around his head about 7:53 a.m. Monday, Nov. 27, in his jail cell at the El Paso County Jail Annex in far East El Paso, a complaint affidavit states.

Six suspects have been charged in connection with Torres' death.

The slaying occurred after the suspects received "confirmation from outside sources that (Torres) was ex-Barrio Azteca and had other involvements with personal matters involving" one of the suspects — Manuel Alejandro Vargas — who is charged in Torres' death.

The Barrio Azteca, whose members are known as Aztecas, was formed in the Texas prison system and operates on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Vargas and five other inmates are being charged with murder in Torres' death. The suspects are:

• Vargas, 31, who was jailed since Sept. 26 on charges of smuggling of persons, evading arrest and aggravated assault of a public servant.

• Juan Alberto Ortiz, 18, who was jailed since last December on another murder charge.

• George Lopez, 23, who was jailed since 2021 on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and parole revocations on aggravated assault and deadly conduct cases.

• Jesus Adrian Rocha, 38, who was jailed since Oct. 26 on a charge of manufacture/delivery of methamphetamine case.

• Jovani Dionicio Ramos, 29, jailed since July 24 on a smuggling of persons charge.

• Christian Carrillo, 25, jailed since Aug. 31 on a smuggling of persons charge.

Torres repeatedly kicked, punched, beaten with wooden cane

El Paso County Sheriff's Office detectives arrived at the Jail Annex, 12501 Montana Ave., about 8 a.m. to investigate a report of a death of an inmate.

Detectives met with a detention officer who said he found Torres covered with a blanket and laying on a bottom bunk unresponsive in Cellblock 1020, Room 1018.

The detention center officer told investigators he uncovered Torres and saw his head wrapped in a plastic trash bag, an affidavit states. The officer also found earphones wrapped around Torres' neck.

The detention officer called for medical staff, but Torres had no signs of life.

No information was released on the last time detention officers checked the inmate's cell the night of the killing.

Four inmates were in the room as the officer discovered the body. The inmates included Vargas, Ortiz, Lopez and Ramos, the affidavit states. The men were removed from the room and separated.

Detectives viewed surveillance video from the jail showing the room where Torres was killed on Sunday, Nov. 26. The affidavit describes a timeline as seen on the video recording:

7:04 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 26:

Torres walks into the room with Ortiz already in the room. Two minutes later, Vargas, Ramos, Lopez and Roach entered the room. A minute later, Carrillo walked into the room.

Torres is seen on the video sitting on the lower bunk with the six suspects standing around him and talking to him.

7:14 p.m.:

Carrillo leaves the room, goes to another room and gets a "kite" message from under the door, the affidavit states.

Kite messages are small notes sent among inmates to communicate with each other. The affidavit does not state what was written in the kite message.

Torres was hit in the face and beaten by the suspects. He is punched and kicked while on the floor by Ortiz and Vargas, the affidavit states.

7:16 p.m.:

Carrillo returns to Torres' room and watches the men beat Torres.

The men begin to beat Torres with a wooden cane, the affidavit states. They continue to stomp on and kick him numerous times.

More: Inmates placed in lockdown cells after inmate killed at El Paso Jail Annex

Carrillo exits the room and acts as a lookout on the top tier of the cell block while Torres continues to be beaten.

Ramos appears to be acting as a "lookout" inside Torres' cell and attempting to obstruct the view of anyone who may be trying to look into the cell, the affidavit states. Lopez then leaves the room and goes to a restroom on the cell block's top tier.

Roach leaves the room, goes to a cell below Torres' room and calls over an inmate. He swaps uniforms with the inmate, the affidavit states. He remains in the bottom cell as Torres continues to be beaten.

7:24 p.m.:

Lopez is seen putting on a new uniform and re-enters Torres' room, while Ramos leaves the room, the affidavit states.

Torres continues to be beaten by Vargas, Ortiz and Lopez, the affidavit states. Ortiz is allegedly repeatedly beating Torres with the wooden cane.

Vargas then attempts to put a plastic trash bag over Torres' head, but Torres continues to struggle with the men, the affidavit states.

Torres is dragged back to his bunk by Vargas and Ortiz. Lopez begin wiping the floor with what appears to be a towel as the men continue to beat Torres, the affidavit states.

7:45 p.m.:

Lopez leaves the room, while Vargas and Ortiz stay and appear to be wiping and cleaning the room, the affidavit states.

8:01 p.m.:

Vargas and Ortiz leave Torres' cell.

12 hours later:

Torres' body is found by the detention officer.

Witness: Torres won't die so he was stabbed in the eyes

Detectives later interviewed a witness who wished to remain anonymous.

The witness said Vargas previously told him he was waiting for confirmation from outside sources that Torres was a former Barrio Azteca gang member. Vargas also allegedly said he had "other involvements with personal matters" with Torres, the witness claimed.

Sheriff’s office officials have not disclosed if Torres may have been targeted because of his gang status.

Former members of the Barrio Azteca — known as Barrio Azteca X (pronounced “equis” in Spanish) and also referred to as “muletas” (crutches) — could be marked for retaliation if they left the gang without permission.

Vargas allegedly told the witness that once he had confirmation of Torres being an ex-Barrio Azteca member, he was going to assault Torres and have him kicked out of the cell block, the affidavit states.

The witness claimed he saw Vargas, Ortiz, Lopez, Carrillo and Roach go to Torres' cell about 7 p.m. the night of the assault.

He added he heard Torres screaming and asking for the suspects to let him go. The witness said he saw several of the suspects cleaning up the cell.

Vargas allegedly told the witness that Torres wouldn't die so he grabbed him by the neck and punched him in the scrotum until he stopped moving, the affidavit states. He then allegedly claimed to have stabbed Torres in the eyes.

Roacha told the witness he "got several punches in on" Torres and walked out during the attack to change his uniform once they split Torres' head open, the affidavit states.

The men were rebooked on murder charges.

Sheriff's Office officials said they were separating certain inmates and placing them in lockdown cells to prevent potential retaliation following Torres' death.

Torres' death remains under investigation, officials said.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. Times reporter Daniel Borunda contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso inmate beaten to death over alleged Barrio Azteca ties