A man was fatally stabbed by his former roommate in the Polo Park neighborhood in the Davenport area early Sunday morning, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim was identified as 67-year-old John Joseph Torneo, a local retired nurse.
Torneo was found in his bathroom on Sunday afternoon by a friend. Detectives say there was a large amount of blood found in the bathroom.
The friend told detectives that he last saw Torneo on Thursday, Dec. 11, and hadn’t heard from him since then. He had a key to Torneo’s residence, so he went to check on him.
According to the victim’s friend, he had recently changed locks at Mr. Torneo’s home because a former roommate was no longer allowed to live there.
PCSO arrested Torneo’s ex-roommate, 19-year-old Julian Andre Trevino.
The investigation revealed that the suspect used the victim’s bank card at a nearby pizza restaurant and a convenience store.
The victim’s vehicle was also missing from the property and was seen traveling on U.S. 27 south on Monday, after Torneo was found dead, PCSO said.
Deputies followed the vehicle as it entered the Ridge neighborhood.
After the vehicle crashed in a ditch, Trevino fled on foot.
According to deputies, Torneo’s bank card was found in Trevino’s possession.
“The suspect admitted to my detectives that he broke in through a window and was confronted by Mr. Torneo,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “The suspect grabbed a knife from the kitchen, then intentionally attacked and fatally cut Mr. Torneo. He was then hit multiple times over the head with a wine bottle. The suspect’s motive for the burglary was to steal money, and his actions resulted in Mr. Torneo suffering a very painful death.”
Following the fatal attack, the suspect disposed of the knife and other items and stole the victim’s vehicle, bank card, and phone, Judd said.
Trevino was booked into the Sheriff’s Processing Center and is facing over a dozen different charges:
- First-degree murder
- Armed robbery
- Tampering with evidence in a felony
- Armed burglary of a dwelling
- Burglary of an occupied dwelling
- Obtain property by force
- Criminal use of personal identification
- Tampering with a victim
- Grand theft from a dwelling
- Grand theft motor vehicle
- Fleeing to elude
- Theft of a bank card
- Fraudulent use of a bank card
- Resisting without violence
- Petit theft
- Driving without a valid license
“Roommate” … yeah, that’s the ticket.