Springfield man charged with murder in connection with 2023 fire
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A man was arraigned in court last Thursday in connection with a Springfield arson case in which a woman died in 2023.
In October 2023, crews were called to a house fire at 118 Grover Street just before 5:30 a.m. where two people were trapped inside. Firefighters entered the home and removed the two victims from the fire. They were brought to Baystate Medical Center, however, 18-year-old Janayrah Rivera passed away due to her injuries.
Community comes together to support Springfield house fire victim
In the fifteen months following the incident, investigators from the Hampden DA's Office, the Springfield Police Department's Homicide Unit, Arson and Bomb Squad, and State Police fire investigators were able to identify 44-year-old of Springfield in connection with the arson.
The Hampden District Attorney's Office said that Torres was arrested on Thursday at around 6:45 a.m. He was arraigned in Springfield District Court on the following charges:
1 count of murder
4 counts of attempted murder
1 count of arson of a dwelling house
Torres was held without the right to bail, and his next court appearance will be on February 24. The Hampden DA's Office, the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad, and the Springfield Police Department's Homicide Unit are continuing to investigate this incident.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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