PHOENIX — A man is facing multiple murder charges after police say they found evidence linking him to multiple crime scenes where two people died.
Phoenix police arrested 21-year-old Adalberto Cordova Torres on December 4, following an investigation into each incident.
On November 11, just before 2 a.m., police were called to a home near 7th Avenue and Greenway Parkway for reports that a home had been struck by gunfire while people were sleeping inside. When officers arrived, they located evidence of a shooting, including 10 shell casings and bullet holes at the home.
No injuries were reported in this incident.
On November 24, just after 3 a.m., police responded to a shooting near 19th Avenue and Greenway Road, where they found 45-year-old Marcus Adams with multiple gunshot wounds. Adams died at the scene, according to police. It was later learned that Adams was shot nine times.
According to police documents, surveillance video shows a person walking up to Adams at around 2:30 a.m. before multiple gunshots were heard. Detectives collected 14 shell casings from the scene.
On November 29, at around 1:30 a.m., officers were called to a bus stop in the area of 19th Avenue and Thunderbird Road, where they found 29-year-old Andreas Olguin with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. It was later learned that Olguin was shot 11 times.
Olguin’s mother spoke to ABC15 shortly after learning about the arrest made in her son’s murder.
“You know, I thought it was going to help. But the fact is…did he know my son? No, he did not know my son. And why? For what? We don’t have those answers, and I won’t ever get those answers,” Toni Perez said.
Perez says Olguin was homeless when he was gunned down.
"For somebody to just to pull up to him, sitting at a bus stop, and unleash 11 rounds into my son's body, and drive off and leave him for dead. I'm just shocked,” she said, crying. "Just wish I could have saved my son.”
In a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral costs, Perez wrote:
"Andreas longed for independence and chose to live life on his own terms, even if that meant living on the streets in Sunnyslope. We tried to help him, but Andreas valued his freedom.”
She says the tragedy is all the more shattering because of the struggles her son faced due to being born premature, at just 24 weeks.
"He had holes in his intestine, holes in his heart. They had to do a reconstructive surgery across his stomach,” Perez said. “It was a lot. He was a fighter. He fought his whole life to be here. So for somebody to take his life for nothing, I want justice for that.”
The family is planning a candlelight vigil on Saturday at the same bus stop where Olguin died.
According to court documents, surveillance video shows a person on an electric bike in the area at the time of the shooting. The person stopped near the victim and, a short time later, gunshots were heard. Detectives collected 15 shell casings nearby.
During an investigation, evidence was collected that linked Torres to the shootings, according to Phoenix police officials.
A search of Torres' home near 19th Avenue and Cactus Road resulted in additional evidence linking him to the murders, police say.
As part of the investigation, detectives spoke with Torres' employer, located near 7th Street and Bell Road, and confirmed he got off work around midnight on the dates of the shootings.
Torres was arrested on Thursday, December 4, and is facing multiple charges, including two counts of murder.
Documents state, when Torres was arrested, he was observed leaving his residence on an electric bike and had a backpack with him. When detectives searched the backpack, they located a gun inside. The gun was processed and test-fired. Preliminary results indicate it was the same gun used in all three shootings.
At this time, detectives do not have information that leads them to believe Torres knew the victims or if they were targeted for any reason. A motive for the shootings hasn't been revealed.
The investigation remains ongoing.
