El Centro native sentenced to 25 years for killing girlfriend

A 36-year-old Long Prairie, Minn. resident was recently sentenced to 25 1/2 years in prison for stabbing his girlfriend to death at their Long Prairie home in July 2017.

A judge handed down Jose Herrera-Torres’ sentence in the Todd County District Court in Minnesota on July 6.

Torres, an El Centro native, was convicted of second-degree intentional murder on November 2017 and remained in jail while the case proceeded, an Osakis Review news report stated.

On July 27, 2017, Torres’ girlfriend was found dead in the couple’s home. A medical examiner documented five wounds to the victim’s face and neck area, the news report stated.

The woman’s death resulted in a multi-county manhunt for Torres, who had fled before law enforcement responded to the scene.

On the morning of July 28, 2017, a be-on-the-lookout notification from the Long Prairie Police Department was sent to all Imperial Valley agencies as Torres was believed to be en route to his mother’s home on Ross Avenue in El Centro.

Long Prairie PD also requested a county sheriff’s deputy to attempt to contact the Torres’ mother and advise her of the situation.

Torres’ family said at the time they had not been in contact with him since August 2016, county Sheriff’s Office activity logs said.

The family was advised to contact ICSO if Torres had arrived at their location or contacted them.

Torres was eventually taken into custody in Minnesota at 10:30 a.m., July 28, 2017 after he checked himself into a Long Prairie hospital with minor wounds.