The man named a person of interest in the disappearance of his estranged wife is hopeful she will come home and be with their children, his attorney told NBC 6 on Thursday.
Cid Torrez’s wife Vilet went missing on March 30. Miramar Police said they suspect foul play in the disappearance and named Cid Torrez a person of interest.
Miramar Police spokeswoman Tania Rues said Wednesday that though the estranged husband has been classified as a person of interest, that "does not necessarily mean detectives have ruled everyone else out."
“He says he’s innocent. He had nothing to do with her disappearance and he’s hopeful she’ll come home and be with the children and put the family back together,” said Cid Torrez’s attorney Richard Della Fera.
Days after Vilet Torrez's disappearance, detectives executed a search warrant at the couple's townhouse, searching inside and outside and taking some bricks from outside the home.
Earlier this month, the Florida Department of Children and Families temporarily removed the couple's three children from Cid Torrez's custody after a family member made a confidential call to the Florida Abuse Hotline fearing the man would try to hurt himself or the couple's children. The kids are currently staying with their maternal grandmother.
The 38-year-old woman's family has said she never would have left her children, and they continue to hold out hope that she will be found safely.
“Something happened. Something definitely horrible happened. My sister would not leave on her own and whether he was involved, I will leave that to detectives to figure out. But that’s what my gut feeling is,” said Javier Blanco, Vilet Torrez’s brother.
Della Fera said he and his client are cooperating with the investigation.
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“We are doing everything to help them get to the bottom of this and hopefully to exonerate Mr. Torrez,” he said.
Della Fera said his client was not abusive, as Vilet Torrez’s family maintains.
“That’s untrue. He was not abusive. There was maybe trouble in the marriage. He has not had any involvement in this incident. He is completely innocent,” he said.
