Lesley Cosme Torres

Lesley Cosme Torres
Title: Crime Writer
Education: UC Berkeley
Expertise: , Criminal Justice, Breaking News, Investigations
  • Lesley Cosme Torres has worked as a reporter since 2020, covering everything from breaking news, criminal justice, misinformation on social media and deep dive investigations.
  • She joined PEOPLE as a writer in 2025.
  • Lesley previously worked as a reporter at the Tampa Bay Times covering breaking news and criminal justice. Prior to that, she worked as a misinformation reporter for the Miami Herald. She also is an adjunct professor at Hunter College in New York.


Experience

Lesley Cosme Torres has five years of experience working as a reporter and has worked at PEOPLE as a writer since 2025.


Before joining PEOPLE, Lesley worked as a staff reporter for the Tampa Bay Times covering breaking news and criminal justice. She also worked as a reporter for the Miami Herald where she covered misinformation on social media.


Lesley graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a master's degree in journalism where she focused on investigative reporting and narrative writing.

Education

Lesley Cosme Torres graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a master's degree in Journalism. She specialized in investigative reporting and narrative writing.

About PEOPLE

PEOPLE, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, delivers the most trustworthy celebrity news and captivating human interest stories, connecting you to the pulse of American culture. Since our first issue hit stands in 1974, we have been striving to tell compelling stories about the people behind the issues, as opposed to just the issues themselves. We are your everyday escape, taking you inside the lives of intriguing stars, newsmakers, up-and-comers and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We serve and delight you by providing ideas about beauty, food and style through the lens of the people influencing the trends. And we are a force for good by telling stories of hope, optimism and kindness that drive conversation and inspire action. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.

Latest from Lesley Cosme Torres

This photo provided by South Carolina Department of Corrections shows Mikal Mahdi
S.C. Man Who Shot Officer and Set Victim's Body on Fire Will Be Executed by Firing Squad
Joseph Voight
Gamer Killed His Dad, Wounded His Mom After Dad Told Him to Get a Job
John Todaro Mugshot
Vice President of 'Bikers Against Child Abuse' Accused of Sex Crimes Against Children: Police
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office has identified the remains of Laurie Krage from a 1997 Cold Case.
She Was Unidentified for Nearly 30 Years. Now, Jane Doe Has a Name — and Police Say She Was Murdered
The city of Chengde in China
Fire at Nursing Home in China Kills 20 People, Owner Detained by Police
Dominique Moore (left) and Cynthia Moore mugshots
After Her Daughter Died on the Living Room Floor, Police Unraveled Mom's Grip of Isolation and Weaponized Fear
Robert E. Cole mugshot, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; Justin P. Welsh mugshot, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Convicted Child Molester Is Allegedly Killed by Prison Cellmate — at Same Facility as Recent Conjugal Visit Deaths
Michael Tanzi mugshot
Florida Set to Execute 'Fledgling Serial Killer' Who Lawyers Say Is Too Obese for Lethal Injection
closeup satellite imagery of North Sentinel Island, which is one of the Andaman Islands
American YouTuber Arrested After Visiting Remote Island Tribe and Leaving Can of Diet Coke
Crissy Field
San Francisco Sex Worker Guilty of Manslaughter for Shooting Client Who Wanted Refund
Narciso Fernandez mugshot
Suspect Who Allegedly Shot and Killed Walgreens Employee Had ‘Anger Towards Pharmacies,” Police Say
Zhenhao Zou
Convicted Serial Rapist May Have Dozens More Victims Across Multiple Countries, Police Fear
Kimberly Aponte pleads guilty in death of her newborn child
N.J. Mom Killed Her Baby by Leaving Newborn in Toilet For Hours After Giving Birth 
Close Up Shot Focused on Yellow Tape Showing Text Police Line Do Not Cross
A 9-Year-Old Boy Shot Himself with an Unsecured Gun. Now His Parents Have Been Sentenced.
State troper car
N.J. State Trooper Allegedly Shoots Own Dog Dead, Assaults Cop: Police 
Kenneth McIsaac, mugshot
5 Hours of Terror: Man Bound Family in Duct Tape, Threatened Kids with Killing Parents — and Now He's Paying the Price
Jon Miller
Young Woman's Hitchhiking Trip Turned into a Tragedy: How Police Solved the Crime Decades Later
Two people are dead after being shot by a Miami-Dade Transit bus driver overnight Sunday,
Fla. Bus Driver Fatally Shoots 2 Passengers During Argument, Say Police
Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt
She Never Stopped Looking for Her Mom. The Truth Was Hidden in the Hills — and a Red Dress No One Could Explain
Anthony-Reyes-Enos mug shot
A Pregnant Mom Fled a Violent Attack. Then Boyfriend Sent Photos Showing Her Kids Had Been Beaten, Too: Police
A locked off shot of a police car in a Californian suburb on a mostly clear day in Spring.
South Dakota Preschool Teacher Charged with Raping 3-Year-Old
Stephanie Dowells, 62, was strangled while she was visiting her husband at the same facility, Mule Creek State Prison
2 Women Fatally Strangled On Conjugal Visits to Same Calif. Prison Months Apart
David Ibarra, a U.S. Air Force member accused of paying a Long Island girl for nude photos and video using the online game Roblox.
U.S. Airman Impersonated Teen, Paid 9-Year-Old Girl for Explicit Material: Prosecutors
Brittany Munive, 33, and her 9-year-old son, DJ, were killed early Monday morning when a wrong-way driver collided with their vehicle on I-45 near Allen Parkway
Mother and Son Heading Home from Softball Tournament Are Killed in Suspected Wrong-Way DUI Crash