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Slain Woman Lived In Fear Of Ex-Boyfriend, Tampa Police Say

News Channel 8 photo by PAUL LAMISON

Tampa Police are investigating the death of a woman who lived in this house on Walnut Street.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2008

Updated: 06/18/2008 03:46 pm

TAMPA Police have identified a woman found slain in her Tampa home just hours after she failed to show up to testify in a court case against her ex-boyfriend.

Officers found the body of Iris Hernandez-Morales, 35, in her home at 2509 W. Walnut St. about midnight.

Investigators said she was supposed to testify against her ex-boyfriend, Jose Torres-Rodriguez, on Tuesday. She was expected to say he had violated a domestic violence injunction. Police had been to the house several times for domestic incidents, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

"This woman was frazzled by this man," McElroy said, citing examples of Torres-Rodriguez riding by the woman's house after she had filed the injunction against him. "She was literally in fear of her life."

Hernandez-Morales' mother, who lives in Puerto Rico, panicked when she couldn't reach her daughter Tuesday. The mother called Hernandez-Morales' ex-in-laws to ask them to check on her daughter, and they did so late Tuesday, McElroy said.

The former in-laws could not see Hernandez-Morales in the home, and they could not get inside, so they called police. An officer broke a window to get inside and found her body, McElroy said.

Officers have not released details on how Hernandez-Morales was killed.

Torres-Rodriguez, 55, whose last known address was 3105 Armenia Ave., Apt. 7, had just gotten out of jail. Police are searching for him but have not named him a suspect.

He was arrested July 8 on a domestic battery charge of slapping and choking Hernandez-Morales, and an injunction was put in place that month. The injunction was set to expire in July.

On May 22, he was arrested again – this time for violating the injunction by entering her backyard. At a hearing June 9, Hernandez-Morales testified that at times she was in fear for her life because of him and that at times she let him back into her life.

"Tampa Police have responded to the victim's home and her ex-boyfriend's home 5 times since July 2007 for domestic violence," a police news release states.

Georgia Robinson, a neighbor, said she saw the couple together often and never saw them argue. She said she had no idea Hernandez-Morales told police the man abused her.

"They were happy," Robinson said. "They would order pizzas and do stuff as a couple."

While Hernandez-Morales' family members moved her possessions out of the rental home this morning, McElroy stood across the street and told media members that officers are on the lookout for Torres-Rodriguez. They say he may be driving a 2002 beige Dodge pickup with the Florida license plate number V478JV and blue painter's tape around the back window. Investigators think he is still in the Tampa area, McElroy said.

Hernandez-Morales had two children, an 11-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, McElroy said. The children, Yaidiz Rodriguez-Perez and Louis Rodriguez-Perez, were staying with their grandmother and were not home when their mother was killed. The children will continue to stay with family.

Robinson said her children have played with Hernandez-Morales' children and that they liked the woman.

"She was a nice person. She was quiet, kept to herself," Robinson said.

Joanne Lighter, president of domestic violence shelter The Spring of Tampa Bay, said The Spring's hot line fielded almost 13,000 calls from Hillsborough County last year and counselors noticed "an escalating level of brutality." Some of that increase might come from tougher economic times of late, she said.

"People would agree that leaving an abusive relationship, one rooted in power and control … is a process," added Jim Brace, director of programs for The Spring. "And oftentimes … women have left and gone back for a number of reasons – not always because they want to. … But often what I've found is that a lot of people caught up in the abusive relationships ultimately do leave."

Outside her sister's house this morning, Yesenia Fuentes said Hernandez-Morales was a good mother who worked hard for her children.

"If she was murdered … I want there to be justice," Fuentes said. "I want justice."

Anyone with information regarding Torres-Rodriguez or Hernandez-Morales' slaying should call (813) 231-6130.

News Channel 8 reporter Katie Coronado contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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