A suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the death of 23-year-old Leslie Torres, whose lifeless body was discovered outside a Times Square hotel. According to the Daily News, officers found footage that showed Torres being dragged in front of the Hotel Riu Plaza New York Times Square on the early morning of October 29. On November 4, after a week on life-support, Torres succumbed to her injuries - which appeared consistent with strangulation.
The suspect, identified by police as Jaheem Warren, 33, was arrested yesterday and has been charged with murder. Warren's past includes several convictions for drug offenses in New Jersey. He had previously served jail time before this alleged violent encounter with Torres, whom police believe he did not know prior to the attack. A police source with knowledge of the case mentioned to the Daily News that Warren had noticed Torres on the night she was attacked and had begun stalking her. “It was a couple,” a hotel worker said to the Daily News. “They were together — they were fighting earlier.” However, this narrative was complicated by statements from police, suggesting the victim and the suspect might not have known each other for long.
Investigators were aided by facial recognition technology in identifying Warren as the man seen in the surveillance video. He was initially arrested in New Jersey on an unrelated charge before being transported back to New York to face charges related to Torres' death. Prior to her tragic end, Leslie Torres had been residing in a nearby homeless shelter, a place where she was described by an anonymous shelter employee as "a nice, quiet girl and liked to keep to herself." These words were echoed by a shelter resident in an interview obtained by the Daily News, shedding light on the solitary nature of Torres' life.
The case has since taken on increased gravity due to its fatal conclusion. Warren now faces a gamut of charges, including two counts of murder, as reported by the New York Post. He also faces charges for first-degree assault, first-degree strangulation, second-degree assault, and second-degree strangulation, the NYPD stated.