Alleged Burglar Makes Bizarre Claims in Court Today

Willie Guillermo Torres, 42, who is accused of burglary of a habitation, displayed particularly bizarre behavior in court today. His unusual claims were made in his pre-trial this morning. Torres's pre-trial case was one of many dealt with in Judge Ben Woodward’s 119^th district court today. 

Torres was called to the front of the courtroom to address Woodward. After the judge explained Torres’s potential punishment, he asked if the defendant understood the charges.

“No, I don’t agree with it,” Torres said.

Torres confidently pleaded not guilty to his most recent count of burglary and not true to his other counts of theft.

According to court documents, on or about Feb. 25, 2015, Torres gained access to a man's home on North Oxford Drive by forcing entry through the back patio door. Upon entering the house, the victim's handgun was stolen.

Torres has been arrested in Tom Green County 18 times, and has a history of committing burglary.

After Torres’s plea, he told Woodward that he wanted another defense lawyer. According to Torres, his current lawyer Todd Simons “does not ever want to do what I ask him to.” Instead, Torres expressed a desire to represent himself.

“I want to be the lawyer,” Torres said. “I’ve read some books.”

The judge said that it would be “very dangerous” for Torres to represent himself and that he would discuss the possibility at another time.

Torres claimed that he was mistreated by the jail, being roughly forced to take his fingerprints and to “sleep buck naked in the cell.” He also said that sex offenders were likely watching him sleep and “probably masturbating.”

“We’ve had quite a lot of trouble with Mr. Torres in the past,” explained Deputy Sheriff Dale Pearce concerning his time at the county jail.  

San Angelo LIVE! talked with Pearce about Torres’s claims of being forced to sleep naked.

“We don’t do that,” Pearce said. “He might take his clothes off, but we don’t have any control over if he does that or not.”

Pearce told San Angelo LIVE! that Torres has been psychologically evaluated; the defendant was not diagnosed with any mental disability, but with behavioral problems. He stressed that the safety of the inmates is a top priority of the prison system and prison officials do their best to take care of their inmates.

The judge told Torres that he would see what he could do concerning his complaints with the jail. The jury trial will be scheduled after Woodward’s investigation.

In regards to other cases addressed today, Michael Keene’s charge of an accident involving death was discussed in court this morning. Keene’s trial was moved to October 17. For more about Keene, take a look at San Angelo LIVE!’s previous articles concerning the manslaughter suspect. 

Spencer Wallace Hooper, who is a suspect in the burglary of Stripes, as well as theft of firearm, had his pre-trial this afternoon, but it was reset to the 27^th. To read about Hooper’s case, check out this article.

Randall Wayne Worley, also in court today, stands accused of continuous sexual assault of a child under the age of 14. However, he did not attend his post indictment reporting today. Check out LIVE’s other story concerning Worley.