11.Abraham Moreno — Direct/Cross/Redirect
151 linesMR. CACCIATORE: State would call Abraham Moreno.
COURT CLERK: Mr. Moreno, raise your right hand to be sworn, please.
ABRAHAM MORENO
was called as a witness and, having first been duly sworn,
testified as follows:
ABRAHAM MORENO: I affirm.
THE COURT: Sir, good afternoon. Could you state and spell your name for the record for us.
ABRAHAM MORENO: Abraham, A-b-r-a-h-a-m. Last name is Moreno, M-o-r-e-n-o.
THE COURT: Thank you, sir. You may be seated.
Mr. Cacciatore, you may inquire.
DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MR. CACCIATORE:
MR. CACCIATORE: Good afternoon, sir.
ABRAHAM MORENO: Good afternoon.
MR. CACCIATORE: Tell us what do you do for a living?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I was -- I'm a maintenance supervisor for apartment complexes.
MR. CACCIATORE: Is that what your position was back in February of 2020?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes, it was.
MR. CACCIATORE: And what apartment complex?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Tealwood Parke Apartments.
MR. CACCIATORE: And how long did you work for Tealwood Parke Apartments?
ABRAHAM MORENO: About two years.
MR. CACCIATORE: And tell us what was some of your duties in your position there with Tealwood Parke?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Daily, I clear the grounds, walk the property, answer maintenance calls, take emergencies, deal with vendors.
MR. CACCIATORE: And did you become familiar with the residents there at the apartment complex?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. CACCIATORE: Did you have occasion to meet the defendant in this case and also a Jorge Torres?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. CACCIATORE: Let me turn your attention to February 24th of 2020. Do you recall that date?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. CACCIATORE: And on that date, did you have occasion to come in contact with the defendant in this case?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes, I did.
MR. CACCIATORE: And tell us what was the circumstances in which you came into contact with her on February 24th, 2020?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I was called by the manager and the assistant manager to come to the -- to come to her unit. I believe she was already sitting outside at that time.
MR. CACCIATORE: And when she was sitting outside of her unit, what, if anything, did you observe about her and about the unit?
ABRAHAM MORENO: The police were there, her ex-husband was present, she was sitting outside, and then that's when she decided she wanted to talk to me and the managers.
MR. CACCIATORE: And what did she tell you?
ABRAHAM MORENO: That she's confused, she's not exactly sure what happened. She pointed out that she recalls that they were playing a game of hide and seek. There was an instance where she was going to teach him a lesson, and then she just doesn't recall anything else until the next morning.
MR. CACCIATORE: Did she say she fell asleep?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes, she did.
MR. CACCIATORE: Did she say things got out of hand?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I don't really recall that part, but I recall her stating that they were playing a game and that Jorge went into a suitcase, and I didn't ask any questions, I just let her talk for herself.
MR. CACCIATORE: How long was this conversation?
ABRAHAM MORENO: For about four or five minutes.
MR. CACCIATORE: Your Honor, I have no further questions at this time.
THE COURT: Any cross-examination?
MR. HENDERSON: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: You may inquire, sir.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
BY MR. HENDERSON:
MR. HENDERSON: Good afternoon, sir.
ABRAHAM MORENO: Good afternoon.
MR. HENDERSON: This conversation that you had with Ms. Boone --
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: -- that took place on the 24th; is that correct?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: And who else was present at the time that the conversation was taking place?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Standing right next to me would have been Melissa Sexton and Eugene Harris, as well as the officer who was in front of the door.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay. So there was a law enforcement officer there that day; is that correct?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: All right. Now, on the 24th is when you said that Ms. Boone made this statement to you; is that correct?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: They were playing hide and seek?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: And what else did she say happened?
ABRAHAM MORENO: She had told me that they were playing hide and seek, they had drank, she was trying to teach him a lesson, that was that. She went upstairs, she went to sleep, she woke up, she doesn't know what happened.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay. So that was on the 24th?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: All right. On the 26th, were you not interviewed by law enforcement?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay.
ABRAHAM MORENO: I may have my days wrong, but it all happened on the same day.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay. All right. The 24th. Do you remember two days later that a Detective Scott Lowen conducted an interview with you at 4704 Lucier Court, Winter Park, Florida? Do you remember that interview?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: So that was two days later; is that correct?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I would assume so.
MR. HENDERSON: Yes. All right. So when he interviewed you two days later, did you tell him about this statement that Ms. Boone made to you that you just told this jury and Court?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I did mention it to him.
MR. HENDERSON: You did mention it to him?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I mentioned to him that we did have a conversation.
MR. HENDERSON: Did you tell him the content of the conversation?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I may not have told him the whole content, but I did tell him we had a conversation.
MR. HENDERSON: All right. Well, what did you tell him -- what content did you tell him on the 26th?
ABRAHAM MORENO: That they were playing hide and seek, that she was confused, she doesn't know what happened. I do believe I did mention to him the fact that she had -- she was trying to teach him a lesson. Not that anything was done with malice, I never stated that at all.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay. So it's your recollection now today that on the 26th, you told Officer Lowen what you just told this jury; is that correct?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yeah.
MR. HENDERSON: All right. Sir, in preparing for this case, did you have a meeting with the assistant state attorney on September 23rd of 2024?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Did I have a meeting?
MR. HENDERSON: Yes.
ABRAHAM MORENO: A brief chitchat over the phone.
MR. HENDERSON: A brief chitchat that was over the phone?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes, sir.
MR. HENDERSON: All right. At that point in time over the phone, did you tell him -- did you tell him that Sarah Boone, the defendant, stated she was teaching him a lesson and things got out of hand and that she fell asleep?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: Is that what you told him?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay. That was in 2024 of -- September the 23rd of this year, 2024?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: Is that correct?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: Are you telling us that back on February the 26th of 2020, you told Officer Lowen at that time the same thing?
ABRAHAM MORENO: As I recall, yes.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay. Sir, did she ever tell you how things got out of hand?
MR. HENDERSON: Sir, you testified that you knew both Mr. Torres and Ms. Boone; is that correct?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: You actually knew Jorge Torres from a different time, didn't you?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes, I did.
MR. HENDERSON: When did you first know Jorge Torres?
ABRAHAM MORENO: In the 1990s.
MR. HENDERSON: In the 1990s?
ABRAHAM MORENO: He was a teenager and he lived down the street from me and my wife.
MR. HENDERSON: So you had had a previous relationship with Mr. Torres?
ABRAHAM MORENO: No, not at all.
MR. HENDERSON: Not at all?
You just knew him from then?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes. As I stated, he was a teenager and I was an adult.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay. During this time, though, that you became reacquainted with him, did you-all establish a friendship at that time here in Orlando?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I wouldn't say a friendship, but an acquaintance, yes.
MR. HENDERSON: Okay. Sir, on Monday, February the 24th, that would have been the day that you were with Ms. Sexton and Gene Harris?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Yes.
MR. HENDERSON: Out in front of the apartment?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Correct.
MR. HENDERSON: Did you talk to law enforcement that day?
MR. HENDERSON: You did not talk to them that day?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I don't recall talking to them that day, no.
MR. HENDERSON: Thank you, sir. I don't have any -- if I can confer --
THE COURT: You can, sir.
(Pause. )
MR. HENDERSON: Thank you, sir. I don't have any further questions.
THE COURT: Any redirect examination?
MR. CACCIATORE: Just briefly.
THE COURT: All right. Thank you.
REDIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MR. CACCIATORE:
MR. CACCIATORE: Back in the '90s when you had previously known Jorge Torres in this case, where were you living at that time?
ABRAHAM MORENO: I lived across the street. I lived on one block, he lived the next block over.
MR. CACCIATORE: In what city?
ABRAHAM MORENO: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
MR. CACCIATORE: And when did you move from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?
ABRAHAM MORENO: 2018, I believe.
MR. CACCIATORE: So, in the intervening years from your move from Philadelphia to coming to work at Tealwood Parke Apartments, did you have any contact with Jorge Torres?
ABRAHAM MORENO: No. As a matter of fact, I moved from that particular block in 2005, so I don't meet Jorge again until I worked at Tealwood.
MR. CACCIATORE: When did you start working at Tealwood?
ABRAHAM MORENO: 2018, 2019, roughly there.
MR. CACCIATORE: No further questions.
THE COURT: Can this witness be released?
MR. HENDERSON: No, Your Honor, just subject to recall.
THE COURT: All right, sir. You will be released subject to recall. Thank you.
ABRAHAM MORENO: Thank you.
(Witness stepped down.)
THE COURT: State, call your next witness.