Orange County Sheriff
Sarah Boone is the Florida woman accused of murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr., by keeping him trapped in a suitcase for several hours at their home on Frantz Lane in Winter Park.
According to the arrest affidavit, Boone claimed she fell asleep during a game of hide-and-seek and didn’t realize Torres was still in the suitcase when she awoke hours later. But two videos on Boone’s video revealed a different story. Police said Boone intentionally left Torres in the suitcase despite his pleas to be let out.
Court records from Orange County, Florida, reveal this was not the first violent encounter at the Winter Park home. Both Boone and Torres were charged with domestic battery in 2018 and Torres was accused of striking Boone on at least two occasions in 2019.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Sarah Boone Claimed She Zipped Jorge Torres Into the Suitcase As Part of a Game Before Passing Out For Several Hours
Sarah Boone arrest affidavit
Sarah Boone called 911 around 1 p.m. on February 24, 2020, after finding her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr., dead in a suitcase. According to the arrest affidavit, obtained from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Boone told the police she helped Torres get into the suitcase the night before while they were playing a game of hide-and-seek. She claimed they had been drinking alcohol and both thought it would be funny if Torres climbed inside the suitcase in the living room.
Boone claimed she zipped the suitcase shut before leaving the room and falling asleep in her bed. She claimed she woke up around 11 a.m. and didn’t see Torres anywhere in the apartment. Boone said she realized Torres was possibly still in the suitcase. She unzipped it and “found Jorge unresponsive and not breathing.” WKMG-TV reported Boone’s first call was to her ex-husband, who lived a few minutes away. He urged Boone to call 911.
According to the criminal complaint, Orange County deputies arrived at the scene minutes after she called 911 and declared Torres dead. Torres was found near the front door of the apartment next to a blue suitcase. First responders noted Torres had a “small laceration” on his lip and “what appeared to be some bruising around his eye.”
2. Affidavit: Sarah Boone Recorded Jorge Torres Yelling ‘I Can’t Breathe’ As He Pleaded With Her to Let Him Out of the Suitcase
Arrested: Sarah Boone, 42, for Second Degree Murder in the death of 42-year-old Jorge Torres Jr., who died after Boone zipped him into a suitcase, and didn’t return for hours.
Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department received permission from Sarah Boone to go through her cellphone. A digital forensic investigator found two videos on the phone that contradicted Boone’s original story.
Both videos were recorded after Jorge Torres had been zipped in the suitcase, according to the arrest affidavit. In the first video, Torres was heard yelling Boone’s name and telling her, “I can’t f*cking breathe, seriously.” The suitcase, which was facing downward, shifted as Torres tried and failed to free himself.
Boone told him, “For everything you’ve done to me. F*ck you.” After Torres said he could not breathe, Boone responded, “Yeah that’s what you do when you choke me… That’s on you. Oh, that’s what I feel like when you cheat on me… You should probably shut the f*ck up.”
Sarah Boone
In the second video, the suitcase had been moved to the other side of the living room and the police said it was facing upward. Torres could be heard continuing to yell for Boone to let him out.
Boone drove herself to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on February 25 for a follow-up interview with investigators. The sworn statement she gave to deputies was blacked out on the arrest affidavit, therefore it is unclear how she may have responded to questions about the two videos.
Boone was arrested on a second-degree murder charge. Court records show a public defender will represent Boone.
3. Sarah Boone Was Accused of Trying to Strangle Jorge Torres In 2018
Sarah Boone 2018 case
This was not the first time Orange County deputies had been called to Sarah Boone and Jorge Torres’ home in Winter Park, Florida. Court records reveal they were both charged with battery in July 2018 after an argument escalated into violence.
According to the criminal complaint, Boone and Torres argued after she spoke to another man while they were out at a bar. Boone claimed that after they returned home, Torres dragged her up the stairs and kicked her in the eye.
Torres told a slightly different story. He claimed that as he was walking up the stairs, Boone grabbed him his throat and “applied pressure” to the extent that he was struggling to breathe. Torres said he kicked at Boone to make her let go of his throat but that he was unsure whether he had kicked her in the face. He said he was sure Boone would have strangled him if he had not kicked her.
The arrest affidavit states Torres had red marking and abrasions on his neck that were consistent with strangulation. Boone’s right eye was visibly swollen and bruised. However, they both refused medical treatment.
Boone and Torres also refused to sign “dating violence paperwork” or press charges against one another. Torres was charged with Battery while Boone was charged for Aggravated Battery with Strangulation. Court records indicate they both posted bond and the case was eventually dropped.
4. Boone Claimed Torres Beat Her In 2019 & Told Her, ‘You’re Going to Die’
The police were called to Sarah Boone and Jorge Torres’ home again on June 15, 2019. Boone claimed Torres had been angry at her for talking to another man.
According to the criminal complaint, Boone said Torres hit her on her head, face, legs, and arms. When she begged him to stop, Boone claimed Torres threatened, “You’re going to die.” The investigator noted Boone had a red lump on the side of her face and scratches on her neck. She refused medical treatment but filled out a “domestic violence worksheet” and said she was willing to testify against her boyfriend.
However, Torres denied hitting Boone and said he was unsure where the scratches on his own neck had come from. He was arrested for battery and booked into jail. Court records show Boone did ultimately testify in court. Torres was granted release under the condition that he avoid consuming any alcohol or drugs, have “no hostile contact with the victim” and “maintain a separate residence.”
In September 2019, Torres was arrested again for violating the bond terms. According to that criminal complaint, Boone said she was sleeping when Torres kicked open the bedroom door. She claimed Torres punched her in the head as she begged him to leave.
Torres admitted to the responding deputy that he was not supposed to be at Boone’s home but was “uncooperative” when asked what had happened. According to the affidavit, Torres told the investigator Boone frequently struck him but that he never called the police on her. The case was closed in October 2019.
It’s unclear exactly when Boone and Torres began living together again following these incidents.
5. Sarah Boone & Jorge Torres Were Romantically Involved For About Three Years
According to the various arrest affidavits referenced above, Sarah Boone and Jorge Torres began dating in early 2017 and moved in together after a few months.
Boone was originally from Orlando, according to her Facebook page. She noted on the page that her maiden name was Paulsen and she appears to have one son.
Jorge Tores and Boone did not post photos together on their respective social media pages. According to his Facebook page, he worked at Ace Hardware and listed Philadelphia as his hometown.
READ NEXT: Bachelor Alum Chad Johnson Arrested For Domestic Violence