Man Charged with Murder of Activist Amanda “Mandi” Torres

The Latinx community in Los Angeles community has been mourning the loss of a young Latina community organizer after the fatal stabbing of 28-year-old UCLA graduate Amanda Torres, known as “Dandy Mandi”. District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced in a recent press release that 24-year-old James Joshua Lopez has been charged with murder in connection with the stabbing death of Torres in Downtown Los Angeles on January 26th. This charge comes after weeks of efforts by friends, family, and colleagues of Torres on social media seeking more information on her untimely death including an Instagram page, “Justice for Mandi”, created by Torres’s family leading efforts to seek justice. 

Lopez is accused of fatally stabbing Torres, on January 26, after midnight, after she intervened to protect her brother in an altercation outside an after-hours warehouse party. Her brother had allegedly been attacked by a group of men at the party, according to the LA County District Attorney’s Office. Lopez faces one count of murder with an allegation of personal use of a deadly and dangerous weapon— if convicted as charged, Lopez faces up to 26 years to life in prison.

“This horrific and senseless act of violence took the life of a young woman who dedicated herself to making her community better. Amanda Torres was a bright, compassionate leader with limitless potential, and our hearts break for her family, friends, and everyone whose lives she touched,” District Attorney Hochman said in a statement.

LA-based podcast Locatora Radio, hosted by Diosa and Mala, posted about Torres and her work in LA: “Mandi was a light in the creative and activist community in LA. She inspired so many people with her activism, poetry, and creativity. We’re deeply heartbroken to learn about her passing. Please support her family as they fundraise & seek justice for Mandi Torres aka Dandy Mandi. @justiceformandi.”

According to her Instagram bio, she loved “ los raves, viajar, y la justicia social”. She is remembered by her community and loved ones for her commitment to social causes, including leading protests and recent LA fire relief efforts. She enjoyed dancing, electronic dance music, festivals and art through her poetry and power in spoken word. Her obituary reads:

“Mandi’s voice will never be silenced. Her poetry—raw, powerful, and deeply personal—became a beacon of self-love and resilience for so many. She had a fearlessness to shout what we feared to whisper, to speak unapologetically, to take pain and transform it into power. She reminded people that they were worthy, that they were powerful, that they were Chingonas.”

In light of Torres’s death, her family started a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses and to help the family through these difficult times. Since creating the campaign on January 27, they have surpassed their goal of $30K, raising over $56,000 in donations. The family held a service for Torres, open to the community, this past Friday with loved ones sharing stories and artwork in her honor.

Lopez’s bail has been set at $2.02 million. His arraignment is scheduled for March 3 at Dept. 30 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in LA.