Woman arrested, found living with decomposing body of missing man

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A 39-year-old woman was arrested for abuse of a corpse after officers with the Toledo Police Department discovered a decomposing body inside an apartment on Wayne Street Wednesday.

According to officials with the Toledo Police Department, the body was that of a 50-year-old man who had been reported missing Tuesday. According to TPD records, police found the body 11 days after the missing man had last been heard from and said his body was badly decomposed.

When police arrived at the apartment, they discovered the decomposing body and Josephine Torres inside.

The victim was reported missing by his friend/boss Tuesday.

“When they open the door to that apartment even being downstairs 15, 20 feet away from the door, the smell was horrific. I mean it was something I’ve never smelled in my life,” the victim’s boss said. “The next thing probably two, three minutes later, I heard them talking to a female and I had a little bit of hope at that point. Like someone’s up there the next thing you know, they brought her down in handcuffs.”

The victim’s boss said he was in Toledo headed back to pick up a coworker when he spotted his friend’s car.

“At that point, I gave follow up within two minutes. I was probably on the phone with 911,” the victim’s boss said. “Something in me said, maybe they’re going back to where his last known address was. So I drove back there.”

Police said Torres was living in the house with the body and her cat. At this time, the coroner has not released the identity of the victim or his cause of death.

“The other officer hadn’t come down yet. I heard him keep saying, ‘is there anybody else in the apartment, is there anybody else in here?’ and he came down and gave me a look of disgust and sadness,” the victim’s boss said.

Torres faced a judge Thursday and was released on bond.

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