EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A 25-year-old man was sentenced to over a decade in prison for his involvement in the killing of an inmate inside the El Paso County Jail Annex in 2023.
According to the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office, on Jan. 15, George Lopez pleaded guilty to murder for his involvement in the killing of 57-year-old inmate Jesus Torres, who was reportedly beaten to death by several inmates inside a shared cell in November 2023.
Mugshot of murdered inmate Jesus Torres (credit: EPCSO)
The DA’s office stated that in his plea, Lopez admitted to conspiring with other inmates to attack Torres, acting as a “lookout” and helping clean the cell after the deadly attack.
DA James Montoya declined to comment on the matter as the cases for the other four suspects are pending.
READ MORE: Sheriff: Murder at El Paso County Jail Annex was ‘pre-planned attack’
In December of 2023, after the attack, the El Paso County Sheriff at the time, Richard Wiles, described the murder of Torres as a “pre-planned attack,” adding that it happened at around 7 p.m. during a shift change.
So far, besides Lopez, 27-year-old Cristian Carrillo has also been convicted and sentenced for his involvement; he, too, pleaded guilty and, like Lopez, he also admitted he was a “lookout.”
Mugshot of Christian Carillo. (credit: EPCSO)
READ MORE: El Paso man sentenced to 10 years for acting as ‘lookout’ during jailhouse murder
The other inmates accused of the attack were identified as:
31-year-old Manuel Alejandro Vargas18-year-old Juan Alberto Ortiz 38-year-old Jesus Adrian Rocha 29-year-old Jovani Dionicio Ramos
From left to right: mugshots of Manuel Alejandro Vargas, Juan Alberto Ortiz, Jesus Adrian Rocha and Jovani Dionicio Ramos.
Following the murder, an administrative investigation by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit and a review by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards determined that inmate checks were not done properly and issued the jail annex a “non-compliance” notice in January 2024.
At the time, disciplinary action against a jail employee was paused as they reportedly resigned that same month, just a few days before the administrative investigation was finished.
READ MORE: El Paso County Jail issued non-compliance notice on inmate checks after inmate death
El Paso County Jail Annex. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
Nearly a year after the murder, the family of Torres, the victim, filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging negligence, saying that jail staff failed to protect the inmate who was awaiting trial.
In the lawsuit, the family further claims the jail failed to conduct proper inmate check-ins, resulting in Torres being found 12 hours after he was allegedly killed.
El Paso County tried to dismiss the lawsuit, but in December 2025, a judge allowed the lawsuit to move forward.
Attorney Dean Malone, who is representing Torres’ family in the lawsuit, called the murder “a travesty and easily preventable” and vowed to hold the county accountable.
“Our law firm and Jesus’ family are glad that the Court allowed the case to continue. What happened to Jesus is a travesty and easily preventable. After an extensive assault, Jesus’ body lay in the cell for hours. We will continue to stand alongside his family to hold El Paso County accountable,” Malone said.
El Paso County Jail Annex. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
READ MORE: Judge allows lawsuit over El Paso County jail death to proceed, denying dismissal request
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