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Father, Stepmother Arrested In Las Cruces Teen’s Death

The father and stepmother of a drug-addicted 15-year-old boy who lost consciousness and died 10 days after a night of drinking with them have been arrested.

Joe A. Torres Sr., 39, and Heather C. Soto, 31, were arrested on suspicion of intentional child abuse resulting in death and negligent child abuse resulting in death.

Police said the three were at a relative’s where Torres Jr. was allowed to drink beer and given a concoction of brandy and wine July 3 and into the morning of July 4. About 6 a.m. July 4, an unnamed adult staying at the home alerted Torres Sr. and Soto that Torres Jr. was unconscious and was having difficulty breathing.

Police said that family spent some time trying to resuscitate Torres Jr., but it wasn’t until 6:30 a.m. that police were called to the home on the 1100 block of Gardner Avenue. Torres Jr. was rushed to a local hospital and then to University Medical Center in El Paso .

Detectives said Torres Sr. and Soto repeatedly denied knowledge of Torres Jr. consuming any alcohol or drugs to medical personnel at the hospital, but when confronted with evidence, Torres Sr. and Soto finally admitted five hours later admitted that Torres Jr. consumed alcohol with them the previous evening.

Because of the time lapse, medical personnel were unable to determine what Torres Jr. ingested, which hampered their ability to treat him.

Torres Jr. never regained consciousness and remained in critical condition until he was pronounced dead shortly after 10 a.m. July 14 after he removed from life support at UMC.

Police said that in late May, Torres Jr. moved from Colorado to Las Cruces to live with his father and Soto, whom he considered his stepmother. Torres Sr. and Soto apparently knew that Torres Jr. had a self-destructive behavior and received therapy in Colorado for suicidal tendencies, alcohol abuse and overdosing on medication, police said.

Hospital examinations determined that Torres Jr. had a blood alcohol content of .115 and opiates in his system. Opiate is a derivative of opium and is found in various over-the-counter and prescription medications.

Torres Sr. and Soto were both arrested on warrants Wednesday. Police said Torres was located in El Paso by the U.S. Marshals Service and is in the custody of the El Paso County Detention Center. He is awaiting extradition to New Mexico. Soto was arrested in Las Cruces. Both are being held on $50,000 bonds.

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