Mother of Man Killed by Joe Torrez Argues for Her Son's Innocence

25-year-old Sal Garces was killed on New Years Day when he and three other men went to the home of MMA fighter Joe Torrez to settle a dispute that had arisen earlier in the day. The exact sequence of events is disputed but the Dona Ana County D.A. has decided not to press charges against the homeowner, Torrez.

Some people have called me “heartless” for the way I talked to Sal Garces mother when she called into the show. You can hear for yourself in the audio posted below. I don’t feel I’m heartless, though. I did feel on the defensive from the moment I picked up the phone. I had only commented in passing on the story and only on those things that were being reported in the media. I had no in-depth knowledge of this story but suddenly I was being bombarded with names and streets and vehicle descriptions from an (understandably) upset mother.

Was Joe Torrez acting in self-defense? The D.A. says they didn’t find enough evidence to suggest otherwise. I’m not unsympathetic to a loss of a life so young, nor to the grief of a parent. I think, though, I would be more sympathetic to a person who was an innocent victim of violence. I think my “heartlessness” is an attempt to get Ms. Garces to acknowledge that her son bears at least some of the responsibility for what happened. He did, after all, drive to residence of a person there was “beef” with knowing that a confrontation would take place. He could have just gone to bed. Also, I try to get Cynthia to see that she’ll have a hard time getting what she sees as “justice” as long as she rages at the people she’s trying to convince rather than talking to them. You can listen and tell me what you think.