NewsLocal News

Actions

Murder indictment filed in Diana Alvarez case

Posted at 10:23 AM, May 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-03 22:25:42-04

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The State Attorney Office announced Thursday that Jorge Guerrero-Torres had been charged with 1st Degree Murder in the case of missing Lee County girl Diana Alvarez.

A grand jury has returned an indictment against Guerrero-Torres on charges of 1st Degree Murder, Kidnapping and Lewd & Lascivious Molestation.

The 9-year-old Alvarez went missing from her San Carlos Park home on May 29, 2016 and has never been found.

Officials issued an Amber Alert for Alvarez in June 2016, four days after her disappearance.  Guerrero-Torres was quickly identified as a suspect, and the search for Diana expanded to Orange County and Okeechobee.

Guerrero-Torres was initially arrested on child porn charges, and later admitted he engaged in sexual activity with the girl on a weekly basis after he moved into a spare bedroom in her home in June of 2015.

He was later sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for production and possession of child pornography.

Thursday, Rita Hernandez, Diana's mother, spoke at an emotional press conference in Fort Myers. "I have a lot of anger inside...now that I know the truth," she said.

 

Diana's mother went on to say she believes Guerrero should receive the death penalty. Guerrero met Diana when he was renting out a room in the family's home. "Jorge, I let you into my home, to help you out, and this is how you repay me?" she said through a translator. "I hope you rot in jail. You will pay for what you did to my daughter. And if you harmed any other little girls, you should repent, and confess."

The charges are punishable by life in prison. Torres will be arraigned on May 7th.
 

PHOTOS: Search for missing Lee County girl Diana Alvarez

MORE: Family of missing Diana Alvarez hires private investigator