Edgar Torres-Rangel is now on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Top 10 Most Wanted list.
As The Tennessee Star reported, Torres-Rangel is an alleged illegal alien who drove drunk and killed a Bedford County woman, Keri King, last month.
According to the TBI’s Facebook page, members of both that agency and the Tennessee Highway Patrol want Torres-Rangel on charges of vehicular homicide.
Both agencies have kicked in reward money, which totals up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest, according to the TBI’s Facebook page.
TBI spokesman Josh DeVine told The Star that agency officials decided to put Torres-Rangel on their list Tuesday.
“We place people on our top 10 when they are wanted to face serious offenses and when there is some reason to believe that putting a little bit of reward money behind it might help to raise the profile of the case and might lead to tips that might lead to the individual’s capture,” DeVine said.
“We were contacted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. They indicated they had put up reward money and requested that we do the same, and we agreed that this is an individual that we would like to see in law enforcement custody.”
As reported, officials with the Tennessee Highway Patrol worked the crash scene the night of Oct. 21. Torres-Rangel sustained critical injuries. According to numerous sources, authorities transported Torres-Rangel to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
What happened to him afterward is a mystery.
Keri King died in the crash.
When contacted last week, Bedford County District Attorney Robert Carter said there is an ongoing investigation into the vehicular homicide and there are warrants out on Torres-Rangel.
“Beyond that I don’t think that, ethically, I can talk about what’s going on. I don’t think I can say any more than that,” Carter said.
The Star asked Carter if Vanderbilt turned Torres-Rangel loose on his own.
“I can’t answer that,” Carter said.
Does Carter know Torres-Rangel’s current whereabouts?
“That’s what I don’t think I’m allowed to speak on. I’m not going to answer that. That is an ethical call on my part as the elected district attorney. I don’t want to jeopardize not only the investigation, but if we end up on trial with this then I certainly don’t want to say anything now that will jeopardize that case.”
The Star then asked about perceptions and how people in and around Bedford County might think this seems fishy.
To that, Carter said this:
“You asked me if I knew his whereabouts, and I told you I didn’t have a comment,” Carter said.
“I will leave it at that.”
If you have information about Torres-Rangel then contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND or [email protected]
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
[…] As reported, both agencies have kicked in reward money, which totals up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest, according to the TBI’s Facebook page. […]