Claudia Torres

PARKERSBURG – A woman charged over the weekend with first-degree murder told 911 dispatchers a man attempted to touch her inappropriately before she shot him, court records show.

Claudia Lynn Torres, 19, of 324 Stealey Ave., Clarksburg, is being held without bond at the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County after being arrested early Saturday morning in Parkersburg.

She faces a charge of first-degree murder in the killing of 28-year-old Austin Lamb of Parkersburg, city Police Chief Matthew Board said.

According to a release from the Parkersburg Police Department, officers were dispatched to a residence in the 1000 block of 40th Street around 12:10 a.m. Saturday in reference to an adult male who sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

A criminal complaint filed in Wood County Magistrate Court said officers entered the residence and found Lamb on a couch, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Despite attempts to perform life-saving measures, he was declared dead at the scene.

Officers had been told the suspect, Torres, left the scene in a purple Dodge Ram, the complaint said.

Dispatchers from the Wood County 911 Center notified officers that Torres was calling from the area of 33rd Street and Murdoch Avenue, the complaint said. Officers arrived at the Rebel Gas Station on Murdoch and took her into custody without incident.

While being taken to the Police Department, Torres told officers that when she arrived at the house, she retrieved a gun, went in and shot Lamb three times, the complaint says. In a recording of the 911 call, she said “he tried to grope me … so I shot him three times.”

Two witnesses reported they were with both individuals earlier in the evening hanging out at a bar, the complaint said. Both said Torres and Lamb got into an argument on the way home from the bar before being separated.

One witness said she saw Lamb enter the house while Torres went to her truck, then saw Torres enter the house before hearing multiple shots, the complaint said. The other witness said he was in the house when Torres entered and fired multiple shots at Lamb.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.