Inset: Leonard Torres (Potter County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The Amarillo, Texas, street where Torres allegedly buried a woman behind a garage (Google Maps).
A 48-year-old Texas man has been arrested after authorities say he shot a woman and buried her body behind a garage in Amarillo.
Leonard Torres is charged with murder in the death of 31-year-old Faith Smith, the Amarillo Police Department said.
The case came to light earlier this month when police received a tip alleging that Smith had been shot and buried.
Detectives interviewed witnesses after receiving the report and said their accounts supported the information. The details were reported by Amarillo-based ABC affiliate KVII.
Investigators believe Smith was killed by a gunshot while inside a vehicle.
Police identified Torres as a suspect and arrested him Thursday after he allegedly failed to stop during a traffic investigation, according to an arrest report obtained by KVII. Authorities said Torres was driving the vehicle linked to the investigation, which he was known to use.
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Officers located the vehicle at the Rama Motel on East Amarillo Boulevard. After securing a warrant, police followed Torres as he left the motel and a nearby convenience store. They attempted to stop him after he allegedly turned without signaling, law enforcement said.
According to the arrest report, Torres initially drove away. The pursuit ended when another police vehicle blocked him. He was first booked on allegations of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The arrest also led investigators to the suspected burial site. Police went to a home on Orange Street, where they found Smith buried behind a detached garage that was still under construction.
A criminal complaint obtained by KVII alleges that Torres told investigators he shot Smith in the head but claimed the shooting was accidental. He also allegedly acknowledged burying her body at the location where it was discovered.
The charging document says the shooting occurred Sept. 27, while Torres and Smith were sitting in the backseat of a car driven by a criminal informant. The informant told police that Torres later removed Smith’s body and buried it near the garage.
The complaint further alleges that Torres threatened the informant after the shooting. He reportedly aimed a handgun at the driver and warned that he would kill her or a member of her family if she disclosed what happened to Smith.
Torres remains held without bond at the Potter County Detention Center.
