In the early morning hours of September 24, 2020, the residential neighborhood of Black Rock in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was shattered by the sound of numerous gunshots. Jorge "Indio" Tirado, a 36-year-old Black / African American male, was driving his burnt-orange Saturn Vue when a barrage of bullets tore through his vehicle. The SUV, riddled with bullet holes, then crashed into a tree at the intersection of Canfield Avenue and Fox Street.
When police arrived at the scene shortly before 8 a.m., they found Tirado slumped over the driver's seat, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his back.
Investigators at the scene recovered 17 spent shell casings on Fox Street, a testament to the violence of the attack. As they canvassed the neighborhood, speaking to residents who were getting ready for their day, a crucial piece of evidence emerged. Several witnesses recalled seeing the shooter wearing a distinctive sweatshirt bearing the logo of a local landscaping company. This detail became the turning point in the investigation. Detectives promptly contacted the company and learned that an employee, Ricardo Torres, had called in shortly after the shooting, stating he had "a problem" and would not be coming into work.
This information quickly made the 32-year-old Torres the primary suspect in the murder of Jorge Tirado. On October 20, 2020, Ricardo Torres was arrested and charged with murder, criminal possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit. He was held on a $2 million bond. The legal process that followed culminated on May 3, 2024, when Torres pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison, with the sentence suspended after serving 22 years, to be followed by five years of probation. Jorge Tirado, who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was remembered in his death notice as a loyal, giving, and friendly man who was a great father, son, brother, and friend with a passion for baseball and cars.
