On Monday July 13, 2020 at approximately 0332 hrs. Officers from Lancaster Bureau of Police and EMS responded to an apartment on the 100 blk. S. Queen St. for a call of an infant in cardiac arrest. At the time of the call the only other people inside the apartment were the infant's mother and a (2) year old child.
Upon arrival Officers found that a (2) month old male infant was not breathing and was in cardiac arrest. EMS transported the infant to Penn Medicine/ LGH. The infant was then transferred to Hershey Medical Center for further treatment.
On July 14, 2020 Det. Higgins went to Hershey Medical Center (HMC) to follow up on the condition of the infant. Medical staff at HMC informed Det. Higgins that the infant had suffered severe , life-threatening injury to the brain and the injury occurred as the result of an assault.
The investigation continued and Detectives from the Bureau's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) were able to confirm that no other adults were home inside the apartment at the time the infant was assaulted.
On Saturday July 18, 2020 at 1004 hrs. the infant was pronounced deceased at HMC.
On Tuesday July 21, 2020 Lancaster County Forensic Pathologist, Wayne Ross MD, performed an autopsy on the victim. The cause of death was ruled as a homicide, the result of traumatic brain and spinal cord injury.
Det. Higgins and members of SIU consulted with the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office. Charges were approved to file against the victim's mother, identified as Francheska Torres F/22. Det. Higgins filed a Criminal Complaint against Torres, charging her with Criminal Homicide (F1) and Endangering the Welfare of Children (F2).
On Friday August 14, 2020 Det. Higgins and other members of the Bureau of Police took Torres into custody at an address on the 500 blk. S. Prince St. Torres was transported to the station and placed on record. Torres was held for arraignment and later committed to LCP. Bail was denied at the time of the arraignment.
All persons accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
