A father who killed his 3-year-old daughter before stabbing and seriously injuring his 12-year-old and himself, pled guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison this week.
Juan Bravo-Torres, 39, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Melissa Souto to life in prison without the possibility of parole and an additional 30 years on top of that sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
Bravo-Torres entered a guilty plea in exchange for prosecutors waiving the death penalty, according to court records.
On July 21, 2022, Bravo-Torres stabbed his 3-year-old daughter, Eva, to death and attempted to kill his 12-year-old daughter, Alina. After attacking the 12-year-old, Bravo-Torres dragged both girls into the bathroom and cut his own wrists and throat. Alina was able to play dead and escape, walking nearly a mile to her mother’s job at a local McDonald’s.
In the months following, prosecutors were in close discussion with the victims’ mother, Nereida Herrera-Martinez, who expressed concerns regarding her 12-year-old daughter’s ability to testify in the case. Herrera-Martinez said her family has had incredible difficulty coping with the loss of Eva and they were concerned over the emotional and psychological trauma that testifying would have on Alina.
According to court records, as the sole eyewitness in the murder case, Alina’s testimony would have been “unavoidable” if prosecutors had pursued the death penalty.
“Asking Alina to relive the facts of that horrible day seemed too great a burden for a 12-year-old child and prosecutors agreed to accept the plea offer,” reads a statement from State Attorney for the 18th Judicial Circuit Phil Archer.
“We believe that Juan Bravo-Torres’ horrific, calculated, and premeditated actions in the killing of Eva Bravo Herrera are deserving of asking a jury to impose the death penalty. However, in reaching this difficult decision we placed great weight on the desire of the mother to consider the potential trauma a trial would impose on her daughter. Our law enforcement partners supported this resolution and as a result my office has filed its intent to waive the death penalty in exchange for a guilty plea and life sentence. However, we will vigorously contest any effort to parole, pardon or release Bravo-Torres prior to his death in state prison, should it ever arise,” said Archer.