Driver Sentenced for Killing Man Near Balboa Park

A murderer who lost his last-minute request to withdraw his guilty plea was sentenced Thursday to 20 years to life in state prison for killing a man near Balboa Park in January.

Ernest Torres, 31, was also fined $10,000 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Frederic A. Link in connection with the Jan. 26 death of Jacques Reeves, 30, of San Diego.

In a lengthy hearing earlier this week, Torres testified that he took an overdose of anti-depressants in a suicide attempt at County Jail before he pleaded guilty Aug. 12 to second-degree murder.

He was hospitalized the next day. But Link found that the drugs must have been taken after his guilty plea and not before because Torres did not develop symptoms of an overdose until much later.

Deputy Atty. Gen. John Rice said Torres had “buyer’s remorse” over his guilty plea, and Link said he agreed with that description.

According to testimony in the preliminary hearing, Torres was in a truck, chasing Floyd Bass and Reeves, who were on foot, Jan. 26 near Balboa Park. Bass testified that he heard Torres yell, “You’re dead!” moments before a collision that killed Reeves.

Reeves was crushed to death against a traffic control box at Laurel Street and 6th Avenue by Torres’ truck. Torres fired a shot at Bass, but it missed.

Torres later fled to Dallas and was arrested there March 26. He was charged with murder, kidnaping, attempted murder, auto theft and receiving stolen property.

Torres pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Reeves’ death and to assaulting Bass. The other charges were dropped.