Puerto Rico's Department of Justice announced Monday that the investigation into the death of nurse Jennifer M. Torres Castro, 36, is in an advanced stage, with prosecutors having received most forensic analysis results. Caguas district attorney Arlene Gardón Rivera said the prosecution has completed multiple investigative steps with police and is now closely reviewing all evidence collected before deciding on legal action.
Torres Castro, from Cayey, was found dead on June 24 at her home in the Quebrada Arenas sector of Río Cañas ward in Caguas. Police reclassified the case as murder after the Institute of Forensic Sciences (ICF) determined the death was violent. Carlos Manuel Estefano Pino, 67, is the main suspect; he was arrested July 1 in Barceloneta after the Parole Board issued an order citing alleged violations of his parole conditions.
On July 4, the ICF collected DNA samples from Pino to compare with material recovered from the scene and Torres Castro's body, and on August 20 the agency reported that analysis was complete and results were available to prosecutors and investigators. Pino was previously serving a sentence for another woman's murder and had been paroled in 2018.