LOS ANGELES, CA – A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of an elderly man during a violent confrontation near a busy intersection in the city of Orange.
Mario Anthony De La Torre pleaded guilty on Aug. 14, 2026, to second-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance in connection with the death of Juan Murillo, whose family said he was 89 years old when he was killed.
The case dates back nearly six years to Oct. 15, 2020.
Police were called around 10:30 a.m. that day to the area of Tustin Street and Chapman Avenue after receiving reports that a man was lying face down in bushes near the intersection.
When officers arrived, they found Murillo dead at the scene.
Witnesses told investigators they had seen an altercation between Murillo and De La Torre shortly before the victim was found. After the confrontation, De La Torre was reportedly seen running away from the intersection.
Less than an hour later, officers located him several blocks away.
Authorities said De La Torre matched the physical description and clothing description provided by witnesses.
He then led officers on a brief foot pursuit, during which he allegedly threw what police described as methamphetamine into a nearby backyard before being taken into custody.
De La Torre, who was homeless at the time, was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Information reviewed by Street People indicates the case later included testimony about the condition of Murillo’s body and surveillance footage showing De La Torre’s behavior before the fatal confrontation.
A detective testified that a belt or cord had been wrapped around Murillo’s neck and that the victim had injuries to his face.
Surveillance footage from a nearby business showed De La Torre walking along Chapman Avenue while behaving erratically, including flailing his arms and yelling at passing vehicles.
The footage also showed Murillo near a bus stop.
According to testimony described in the case, De La Torre confronted Murillo there. Authorities have not established publicly what words, if any, were exchanged between the two men.
Murillo eventually stood up and began walking away from the bus stop, but De La Torre continued following him.
When the two reached an area near the bushes, surveillance footage appeared to show De La Torre kicking Murillo before pushing and dragging him into the shrubbery.
By the time police arrived, Murillo was dead.
The exact sequence of injuries that caused his death was not included in the information available for this report, though investigators described evidence of significant violence during the confrontation.
A relative familiar with De La Torre later told investigators that he had reportedly been dealing with undiagnosed mental health problems and was known to use cocaine and methamphetamine.
That information was part of the investigative background but does not itself explain what caused the attack.
Authorities have not publicly identified a clear motive for why De La Torre confronted Murillo.
The guilty plea resolved the murder case without the need for a full trial.
Second-degree murder under California law generally involves an unlawful killing committed with malice but without the additional elements required for first-degree murder. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes felony criminal cases arising in the county, including homicide cases.
De La Torre also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance, reflecting the drug evidence authorities said was recovered during his arrest.
He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
That sentence means De La Torre must serve the minimum term before he can become eligible for consideration for parole; it does not guarantee that parole will be granted.
The killing occurred at one of the busier commercial intersections in the city of Orange, where Tustin Street and Chapman Avenue carry substantial vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Authorities have not indicated that Murillo and De La Torre knew each other before the encounter.
Based on the information available, the confrontation appears to have begun after the two encountered one another near the bus stop.
The circumstances surrounding the attack remained under scrutiny for years as the criminal case moved through the court system.
De La Torre’s Aug. 14 guilty plea brought the central criminal proceeding to a close nearly six years after Murillo’s death.
The sentence holds De La Torre criminally responsible for second-degree murder while also resolving the controlled-substance charge connected to his arrest.
Murillo’s death remains one of the more disturbing elements of the case because of the difference in age between the victim and defendant and the apparently random nature of the encounter described by investigators.
Authorities have not released additional information about Murillo’s background beyond his identity and age.
The case is now moving from the criminal prosecution stage into the state corrections system following De La Torre’s sentencing.
