APOPKA, Fla. — The family of an 18-year-old gunned down by his childhood friend is demanding answers.
The accused gunman, charged with manslaughter, is now out on bond after spending just over a year behind bars.
“When you are watching your son dying and trying to keep your grandchildren from not singing, and they’re petrified, you got to live with it,” said Missy Farrell, the victim’s mother.
It was December 3rd, 2023, when Farrell lost her son Jacob. The family says the 18-year-old was killed in their backyard after an argument with a friend. “It’s the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life,” Farrell said.
The accused shooter, Arden Torres, who was 16 years old at the time and a longtime friend to Jacob, was charged as an adult with manslaughter.
Court documents show Torres posted a $ 100,000 bond in February and is now working on a plea deal. “We’re going to be paying the rest of our life and they offer him what they’re offering him, and he gets to get out early,” Farrell said amid tears. “He gets to go have a family. If he wants to, he can have kids. Why does he get to go about his life?”
The autopsy report shows the bullet hit the back of Jacob’s head, but the distance from where that shot was fired is unclear.
Court documents show Torres is not allowed to approach the victim’s family or go back to the crime scene as part of his bond conditions. “Is it surprising? Absolutely. Is it unlawful? I don’t know. I don’t think so,” said Adam Pollack, a criminal defense attorney. “Would you expect him to still go back to jail at some point?,” Channel 9’s Geovany Dias asked the attorney. “I can’t say for sure. I mean, that’s a possibility. And again, this is all subject to the court accepting the resolution.”
Torres has a plea hearing set for May 15th. His defense attorney sent the following statement:
Arden Torres is devastated by the death of his childhood friend. This case has no winners— only heartbreak. A young life was lost, and another has irreversibly changed. Nothing Arden can say or do will serve to adequately console Jacob’s family in the wake of the tragic events of December 3, 2023. Nonetheless, Arden wants Jacob’s family to know that, while there are no words to assuage their grief, he is truly and deeply sorry to Jacob’s family for their loss. He prays for Jacob’s family every night, knowing those prayers may never reach them. It is understandable to Arden that Jacob’s family remains angry with him over their tremendous loss. Despite assertions to the contrary, however, Arden has complied with all conditions of his release, and he is actively participating in the appropriate disposition of his case through our criminal justice system.
Arden, who was barely 16 years old when this tragedy took place, did not intend to do harm to his close friend. However, Arden is prepared to accept a substantial prison sentence to attempt to atone for this tragedy, knowing that his acceptance of this sentence is in no way a true counterweight to the tremendous loss felt by everyone, including Arden. It is Arden’s true hope that his acceptance of this sentence will help bring some peace to Jacob’s family and allow them to move past their anger so that they may focus instead on their cherished memories and love for Jacob.
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