Cynthia Louise Torres, a 64-year-old White woman from Sacramento, California, was a beloved mother and grandmother. She was survived by her two daughters, Jennifer Oseski and Valerie Rhodes, and several grandchildren. According to her obituary, she was predeceased by her husband, David Torres, and a granddaughter, Samantha Booth.
On Thursday, April 17, 2025, a police standoff in Sacramento ended with the discovery of a double homicide.
Sacramento Police arrested 44-year-old Manfred Schield after a six-and-a-half-hour standoff. After Schield was taken into custody, officers entered the home and found two people deceased from gun violence.
The victims were identified as Cynthia Torres and a man named Nick Pontliana. Longtime friends of Pontliana described him as a "sweet and nice guy" who had been dealing with some health issues and said they were saddened to learn what had happened to him. A funeral service for Cynthia was held on May 6, 2025, at All Hallows Catholic Church, followed by a committal service at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.
Manfred Schield was arrested and faced homicide charges for the deaths of Torres and Pontliana, as well as a charge for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Schield made his first court appearance on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. During the hearing, at which a judge ruled that media could not show his face, Schield cursed and made obscene gestures at people in the courtroom. He was ordered to be held in jail without eligibility for bail. As of the court hearing in April 2025, the case was proceeding through the justice system, with Schield's next court appearance scheduled for May 27, 2025.
