(La Porte County, IN) - He fled after crashing into a garage but the heavy damage on the vehicle he was still driving to work drew the attention of police.

 

Gilbert Torrez is charged in La Porte Circuit Court with leaving the scene of a crash and other counts like driving without ever receiving a license. 

 

According to court documents, Torrez on January 21 was traveling too fast to negotiate a curve and crashed into the heavily damaged attached garage at a home in Scipio Township.  Two days later, investigators acting on a tip learned Torrez was the driver because of a truck with heavy front end damage being parked at a home in the 2600 block of S. 350 West, police said.

 

The truck was registered to Torrez.  Police also discovered Torrez was homeless but living there with the grandparents of his child after they took him in recently to get him out of the bitter cold, according to court documents.

 

He continued driving the truck to and from his job in Valparaiso.  In 2023, Torrez was convicted in La Porte Superior Court 4 of leaving the scene of an accident.