Two suspects, including a 17-year-old with an outstanding murder warrant in Colorado, were arrested Monday night after officers arrived at a violent home invasion in Torrance, according to police.
Officers were called to the 3600 block of Sara Court around 10:40 p.m. by the 73-year-old victim’s neighbor, who noticed two men entering the woman’s residence and thought it was suspicious, according to Torrance Police Department Lt. Steve D’anjou.
When police arrived, they heard screaming coming from the home; two people then ran outside, D’anjou said.
The victim, Judy Turner, spoke to reporters on Tuesday afternoon, saying she heard the two intruders coming up her stairs.
“That is the scariest feeling – awful,” Turner said.
Police arrived by the time the men got to the victim’s room upstairs, but she was badly beaten in her face, her daughter Christyne Watson said.
“It could have ended differently,” Watson said.
Her mother, who had two apparent black eyes and other bruises on her face, agreed.
“It could have been way worse if they hadn’t responded as quickly – maybe I would have been not here, talking,” Turner said.
One of the suspects was taken into custody at gunpoint in front of the house, but the second suspect managed to flee the location, according to the lieutenant.
A perimeter was set up as authorities from multiple law enforcement agencies searched the area for the second suspect. About 90 minutes later, police found the second individual hiding in the victim’s garage and he was taken into custody.
During the arrest, a private citizen who was filming the incident asked one of the men why he was there and the suspect replied, “Prop 57,” according to a Torrance police news release. Prop 57, overwhelmingly approved by California voters last November, allows some felons convicted of nonviolent crimes to be released from state prison early, and it reverses a previous law that allowed some juvenile defendants to be tried as adults.
Both suspects were expected to face a multitude of charges in connection with the home invasion, including burglary, auto theft and elder abuse. The vehicle involved had apparently been stolen out of Torrance earlier Monday evening, according to D’anjou.
Watson told KTLA that she is thankful for her mother’s vigilant neighbors.
“The neighbors watch out for each other here. We’re very grateful,” Watson said. “They were on it. By the time they got upstairs into her room the police were already outside and heard her screaming.”
It was not immediately clear whether the teen would be prosecuted in Southern California first, or if he would be extradited to Colorado for prosecution on the murder warrant, he said.
Torrance police did not release the names of either suspect, but the Denver Police Department identified the 17-year-old as Dmarco Blake and confirmed he had been wanted in connection with a homicide that occurred on May 15 in the 3900 block of South Spruce Street.
The Los Angeles Times identified the second suspect as an 18-year-old Colorado resident who wanted there in connection with a robbery. Torrance police later confirmed the man indeed was wanted on a robbery warrant in Colorado.
A neighbor told KTLA the victim had recently lost her husband.
KTLA’s Melissa Pamer contributed to this article.
