SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in San Diego Monday caught a fugitive accused in May 2021 of attempted murder in San Diego.
“CBP officers have the crucial responsibility of positively identifying every person who applies for entry into the U.S.,” said Sidney Aki, Director of Field Operations for CBP in San Diego. “Catching this fugitive as he attempted to return to our community helps make us all safer.”
At about 12:30 p.m. on Monday a man arrived on foot at the Otay Mesa border crossing to apply for entry into the U.S.
He presented himself as a U.S. citizen., and gave his name, Nicholas Octavio Torres, but did not have any documents with him. The CBP officer ran his name through the database and received an alert for a warrant for the man’s arrest. He was taken into custody.
CBP officers used the man’s fingerprints to confirm that he did correctly identify himself. CBP officers also confirmed that Torres, a 33-year-old U.S. citizen, was a fugitive with an outstanding
$5 million warrant, issued at the request of the California Highway Patrol.
Torres is wanted for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling and false imprisonment. Torres also has an outstanding $20,000 misdemeanor warrant for vandalism. Torres has prior convictions for domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, and false imprisonment.
CBP officers turned Torres over to the U.S. Marshals Service. He was booked into the San Diego County Jail.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.