Las Cruces MMA fighter home invasion case still not closed

The Dona Ana County District Attorney has decided not to file charges against Las Cruces MMA fighter, Joe Torrez, in the home invasion case. He may be a free man, but the case is still not closed.

It took nearly eight months for evidence in the home invasion case to be processed, evidence that would ultimately determine whether or not Torrez would be charged.

“I’m relieved, I feel pretty good, for once,” Torrez said.

The night of January 1st, four men, including Sal Garces allegedly broke into Torrez’s home. Garces was found dead, outside the home. Accoridng to an autopsy report, he died of mutliple stab wounds.

In a news conference this week, Torrez declined to comment on what happened that night,

“I don’t like to go into detail about it,” he said.

But says he acted in self defense.

“Once they entered my home, all I thought about was my kids and family and I did what I had to do,” Torrez said.

According to Kelly Jameson, the spokeswoman for the Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office, the items in question during the investigation, were two knives found near Garces’s body.

“We know for sure any of that evidence didn’t have any of Torrez’s DNA on it,” Jameson said.

Jameson says because his DNA was not found on the weapons, that means the case is only suspended for now until any missing pieces are found.

“Is the case closed? It’s not closed, this case is suspended until we can move forward, additional witnesses or evidence that would move it forward,” Jameson said.

Five other people face charges for breaking into Torrez’s home that night. Trial for three of those men will begin next month.