AnonymousSource: Santa Barbara County District Attorney
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced today that Leonel Adrian Torres, age 36 will face 15 years to life in prison as a result of being found guilty on Friday, June 7, 2019 of 2nd degree murder. The jury further found true a gang enhancement. On August 16, 2008, Mr. Torres along with Arturo Palomar and Jose Morales, Jr. attacked Mr. James Michael Christie outside Roy’s Liquor in Guadalupe. Mr. Christie was stabbed and killed. Mr. Torres fled to Mexico immediately after the murder. Defendants Palomar and Morales were prosecuted in 2010 and both convicted for Mr. Christie’s murder. In 2016, Mr. Torres was apprehended and extradited back to the United States to stand trial for his role in Mr. Christie’s murder.
Mr. Torres will return back to court on July 8, 2019 for his sentencing in Dept. 7 of the Santa Maria Superior Court.
