Manslaughter, homicide added to charges against pair accused of attacking Alfred Willis Torres Sr.

Defendants scheduled to be arraigned next week on nine charges each related to alleged assault earlier this year in downtown parking garage

Alfred Willis Torres Sr. with his granddaughter, Emma, in 2019. (Photo provided by Laurie Lott)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

This story has been corrected to note that Devon Rivera is not the nephew of Alfred Willis Torres Sr.

Several additional charges, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, have been added to cases against two people accused of fatally assaulting a man in a downtown parking garage in April.

Devon Rivera, 29, and Chelsea Willis, 37, are accused of attacking Alfred Willis Torres Sr., 53, who was found semiconscious in the Marine Parking Garage shortly after 11 p.m. April 6 by emergency officials who responded to a caller reporting the incident. He died about four weeks later in a Seattle hospital.

Torres identified Rivera and Willis as his assailants to police, and said they were his nephew and niece, according to court records. However, Juneau District Attorney Whitney Bostick said Monday that Rivera is not related to Torres.

Rivera was originally charged with three felony assault charges, and Willis with felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanor assault. But on Thursday both were charged with nine counts, including multiple additional felony assault charges in addition to the death-related charges, according to the Alaska Court System’s online database.

Juneau District Attorney Whitney Bostick has previously stated prosecutors needed to look at an autospy report of Torres and other information before deciding if additional charges were warranted against Rivera and Willis.

Willis’ attorney, Anna Maria McDonald Ambrose, declined to comment Friday night. Attempts to reach Rivera’s attorney, Emma Johnson, were unsuccessful.

Willis is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges Monday and Rivera on Tuesday at Juneau’s Dimond Courthouse. Both are in state custody.

According to a court charging document, Rivera told police he was at the parking garage building with Willis when she departed on a walk and returned with Torres, who didn’t know Rivera was there.

“Willis alleged they were acting in self-defense in relation to an alleged incident that occurred years prior,” according to the charging document. “Rivera learned about this allegation and that’s why he attacked Alfred.”

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.