Seismens

ORLANDO, Fla. (TCN) -- A judge has sentenced Sarah Boone to life in prison for leaving her boyfriend in a closed suitcase overnight, causing him to suffocate to death.

Boone received the sentence Monday, Dec. 2, just over a month after a jury convicted her of the second-degree murder of her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr. Boone’s trial lasted 10 days and ended with her guilty verdict on Oct. 25.

The Ninth Judicial Circuit State’s Attorney said Boone and Torres were playing hide-and-seek in their townhome on Feb. 20, 2020, when Torres "voluntarily climbed inside a suitcase as part of the game." Boone recorded videos of Torres in the suitcase, including ones where he asked for help and to be let out. Boone would respond, "That’s what you get," and "That’s what it feels like when you cheat on me."

Boone went to sleep and Torres was dead when she woke up.

During her trial, Boone testified and spoke about how Torres abused her and she feared for her life.

Several members of Torres' family gave victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing. His mother, Blanca Torres, said, "She not only killed my son. She killed a father, an uncle, a brother." She continued, "Sometimes when I look out the window, I wait for him to come and say, 'Mom, I love you.'"

Torres' sister, Victoria Torres, said she believes her brother "deserves justice," adding, "Sarah caused a lifetime of pain, a lifetime of horrible images, a lifetime of hearing my brother Jorge plead for his life."

She continued, "This is a moment for all of you. For me and my family, it’s forever."

Boone also gave a lengthy statement and spoke about how she forgave Torres and his family but did so in a way where she listed times Torres purportedly abused her. For instance, she said she forgave Torres for "every time he slapped me, kicked, punched, spit on, raped, stabbed, choked, laughed at, pushed, pulled, dragged, whipped, tripped, stole from, lied, terrorized, threatened, humiliated, forced, degraded, made me cry, every time he tried to end me, defeat, or destroy."

She continued, "For breaking or removing the locks from all of the doors and sometimes the knobs altogether so I had nowhere to feel safe, including the sacred space of my son’s room, where he beat me bloody on his bed."

Boone said she forgave his family "for knowing who Jorge was, what he was capable of and has done in the past, his history of violence and where he learned it, then to keep turning a blind eye when I would ask for help."

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ST. CHARLES, Ill. (TCN) -- A suburban Chicago police officer fatally shot a man who was allegedly wielding a chain saw and threatening residents at an assisted living facility over the weekend.

According to the St. Charles Police Department, on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 8:45 a.m., officers responded to River Glen of St. Charles after learning about a shirtless man attempting to cut down a tree outside the building with a chain saw. The man then reportedly walked into the lobby and "began confronting residents with the chain saw." Police tried to de-escalate the situation when they arrived, but the man refused and "continued his attempts to use the chain saw against residents of the building, and the officers."

Police used a Taser on the suspect, but it was not effective. One of the officers used his service weapon and shot at the man. Police immediately rendered aid and transported the man to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, where he died.

Some of the residents at the home were treated for minor injuries.

St. Charles Police did not release the man’s name but said Illinois State Police will be conducting an investigation into the shooting as part of protocol.

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HOUSTON (TCN) -- A 29-year-old man stands accused of fatally stabbing his 28-year-old sister and his toddler niece last week.

In the early hours of Friday, Nov. 29, an individual flagged down Houston Police Department officers, claiming an "adult female and child were being held hostage within an apartment" with the suspect, Kendrick Fisher. Police entered the residence, where they discovered Fisher asleep on the couch and a 28-year-old female and a 2-year-old deceased with multiple stab wounds.

According to police, Fisher had injuries consistent with a physical altercation, and authorities observed blood on his clothes. Officers arrested Fisher on a charge of capital murder, and he was booked into the Harris County Jail.

Jail records reviewed by KTRK-TV show Fisher served a seven-year sentence for armed robbery and was found with contraband. He reportedly got out of prison in December 2023. A neighbor told KTRK Fisher had been living with his sister for a few months before the incident.

According to KHOU-TV, Fisher and the victim’s mother, Joanna Fisher, told police Fisher had been causing problems with the family, including threats of violence.

She said, "So he comes home on a rampage. I put him out. I’m his mom. I put his ass out. He threatened the whole family to kill."

Joanna Fisher told KRIV-TV, "I want to let y’all know how the police failed us."