Featured Image Credit: foodwithbearhands/Instagram
Topics: Crime, News, US News, Social Media
Kit Roberts
Topics: Crime, News, US News, Social Media
Police have issued an update following the death of food influencer Michael Duarte.
Duarte died after being shot by a deputy during an alleged confrontation on 8 November, being pronounced dead at a hospital in San Antonio. The influencer had some two million followers over platforms TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, publishing videos about grilling and barbecue recipes.
His agency Alooma Media Group confirmed in an Instagram post that he had died, paying tribute to him as a 'true & loyal partner, a trusted collaborator, and above all, a remarkable person'.
Duarte is survived by his six-year-old daughter Oakley and his wife Jessica.
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Now, police have released crucial information about the manner of Duarte's death in an update on the tragic case which has been made public.
Duarte's cause of death has been confirmed as him having died as a result of a gunshot wound.
His manner of death was also ruled officially to have been a homicide, though a spokesperson for the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office added that the results of an autopsy are still pending.
According to reporting in USA Today, representatives for Medina County Sheriff's Office said that they received a call 8 November at 11:28am 'regarding a disturbance involving a male subject with a knife acting erratically'.
They went on to claim that a deputy had found Duarte allegedly 'making threats to kill everyone' as well as 'attempting to assault Fire and EMS personnel'.
After being given 'multiple verbal commands' for him to go to the ground, Duarte allegedly 'charged toward the deputy while yelling, "I'm going to kill you",' and she then fired her weapon twice.
Duarte grew up in the small city of Calipatria in California, which is close to the border between the US and Mexico.
He learned to cook working at a small Mexican restaurant which his uncle owned, and continued to work in the restaurant industry as a young adult in the San Diego area.
Duarte shared on Instagram that he had gone into rehab at the time of coronavirus pandemic, saying that he had a 'mental health crisis', before getting a new job and starting to post on social media.
In her first public statement since the death of her husband Jessica promised 'to keep his legacy going'.
She said: "I feel so touched and proud to know so many people that he has inspired over his time here on earth.
"He gave everyone every bit of him so it’s my turn to give it back. I’m not quite sure what that looks like yet but hopefully he will lead me on that path.”