MERIDEN, Conn. — The man accused of stabbing and killing a man in Meriden on Saturday appeared in court on Monday. 19-year-old Josue Ortega-Torres has been charged with the murder of 44-year-old Justin Sloan Sr.
“He stands here today with his whole life in front of him,” said Attorney Justin Fappiano, representing Ortega-Torres.
Fappiano said his client does not have a criminal history, but he is currently in an accelerated rehabilitation program for 2022 charges related to criminal trespass, interfering, and failure to submit to fingerprints.
Ortega-Torres’ family sat in the benches behind him in the courtroom. They refused to speak with the press after the proceeding.
“I think what’s important for me to remind the public is that the reason we have a superior court system is to try to make sense out of what happened when we have a case like this,” Fappiano said.
Court documents reveal that at least two witnesses saw what happened on Saturday night.
One of those witnesses said he first saw a white smart car (later determined to be Ortega Torres’s) and a gray car (which Sloan Sr. was driving) racing through an intersection. The witness told police “he wasn’t sure if the cars were in a chase or just horsing around, but they were unusually close.” The witness saw the two cars eventually pull over near 840 Hanover road, and the two men each got out of their cars.
The witness told police the victim “put his arms out to his sides into the air as though he was posturing/gesturing, ‘what do you want?!’” The witness then said he saw the suspect “push the victim” and speed off.
Later, police found Sloan Sr. in the road, suffering from several stab wounds. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Shortly after, after following Ortega-Torres on surveillance video, they found his Smart car parked at home at 19 Mellville Ave in Meriden. The car had a tarp over it. Police said they asked the family to get out of the home, and they did. However, Ortega-Torres stayed inside, and engaged in an hours-long standoff with police. Eventually, it ended in him coming out of the home and getting arrested without incident.
Police later found a shotgun in his bedroom, a hard-plate body armor vest, and ammunition in a safe.
On Monday, police returned to the scene just off of Melville Ave. to search for evidence. The nearby road was closed for hours as they continued the investigation. Neighbors were feeling uneasy about the recent violence.
"We're basically not safe anywhere right now,” said Jennifer Buonanni, who lives near the scene.
In the meantime, Ortega-Torres is being held on a $5 million bond. He will be back in court on Aug. 2nd.
Police do not believe at this time that the suspect or the victim knew one another. They said the stabbing was likely the result of Saturday night’s events.
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