George Torres, a 25-year-old resident of Moreno Valley, was tragically killed on November 26, 2021, during a robbery outside a convenience store in Perris, California. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning when Torres and a friend, identified only as "J.N.," stopped at an am/pm convenience store on Perris Boulevard. As J.N. went inside to purchase cigarettes, two brothers, Edgar Sanchez Ortega and Bryan Ortega, who had been on a robbery spree, decided to target Torres and his
friend. The brothers, who were inhaling drugs or vapors via balloons in their vehicle, approached Torres' car with the intent to rob them.
Bryan Ortega, armed with a 9mm handgun, demanded that Torres and J.N. hand over their belongings. While J.N. complied, Torres resisted and attempted to defend himself by grabbing a pistol hidden in his car. This led to a violent confrontation where Bryan Ortega fired multiple shots into Torres' vehicle, fatally wounding him. The brothers then fled the scene, continuing their crime spree until they were eventually apprehended by law enforcement.
The investigation into Torres' death revealed that the Ortega brothers had been involved in a series of robberies that night, starting with an earlier incident where they accosted another victim, identified as "M.F.," and forced him to strip at gunpoint. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office charged both Edgar and Bryan Ortega with first-degree murder, robbery, attempted robbery, and a special-circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery. Bryan Ortega faced additional charges for sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
During their trial, the prosecution presented evidence of the brothers' crime spree and the brutal nature of their actions. Both Edgar and Bryan Ortega were found guilty by separate juries in October 2024. The court sentenced them to life in prison without the possibility of parole in January 2025. The sentencing marked the end of a lengthy legal process that sought justice for George Torres and brought some closure to his family and friends.
