A Florida father who stabbed his girlfriend to death in their apartment while their children were there has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Farel Torres, 38, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the violent death of Vanessa Santiago, 34, his children’s mother, in May 2024. Prosecutors claim Torres murdered Santiago in cold blood after she attempted to stop their connection, then drove his kids to school as if nothing had happened.
A Seminole County jury convicted him in 14 minutes, describing the crime as one of the most disturbing cases of domestic abuse they had ever witnessed.
“He stabbed her because he was mad,” prosecutors said, quoting Torres’ own 911 call. “Then he told dispatchers she was ‘beyond help.’”
A Morning That Turned Deadly
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According to the 18th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, the murder occurred inside the couple’s apartment on Winter Woods Boulevard in Casselberry.
According to investigators, Torres appeared to “prepare” for the killing by obtaining a steak knife from the kitchen and disabling the bedroom surveillance camera before assaulting Santiago.
During their argument, Santiago informed Torres that she was breaking up with him and wanted him out of the home—the same flat she had paid for and leased.
Moments after, he launched a lethal attack, stabbing her repeatedly, including in the head.
“The knife is in her head,” Torres admitted during his 911 call. “She’s beyond help.”
Children Witnessed the Horror
Prosecutors said that the couple’s two children were present during the killing, and one of the boys even witnessed the stabbing before Torres forced him to leave the room.
Torres cleaned up after killing Santiago, duplicated her credit card and bank information, and drove the children to school “as if it were a normal morning,” according to investigators.
“He calmly dropped them off, as though he hadn’t just taken their mother’s life,” prosecutors told the court.
Cold and Calculated Motive
Footage from elsewhere in the apartment recorded the couple bickering in front of their kids just before the attack.
Investigators also discovered evidence that Torres had turned off the bedroom camera, implying that he meant to conceal what he was planning.
When questioned by authorities, Torres claimed that he was “mad” and “stabbed her because she wanted to leave him.”
“This was no crime of passion,” the prosecution said. “This was control, rage, and a complete lack of empathy.”
Life Sentence and No Remorse
During the sentencing, Judge Melanie Chase described Torres’ acts as “beyond comprehension” and sentenced him to life in prison without parole.
Prosecutors stated the defendant’s lack of remorse throughout the trial was stunning. Torres “showed no emotion” when his children’s trauma was revealed in court.
The defense attempted to argue for a lesser charge of manslaughter, arguing Torres acted “in a fit of passion,” but the jury unanimously rejected it.
“This was a deliberate act,” one juror said after the verdict. “He’s beyond help.”
A Tragedy That Broke a Family
Vanessa Santiago’s family characterized her as a caring mother and hard worker who was striving to provide stability for her children.
Her death has left both sons distraught, and they are currently staying with relatives while they seek treatment and care.
“She was just trying to break free,” one family member told reporters. “He wouldn’t let her live — and now her kids have to live with that forever.”