BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – More than one month later, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office determined how a popular food influencer died at a rental property.
Michael Anthony Duarte, 39, was shot at least one time, the medical examiner confirmed to KSAT on Wednesday. Duarte’s death was ruled as a homicide.
While the shooting originally happened in neighboring Medina County, Bexar County’s medical examiner office was tasked with determining Duarte’s cause and manner of death.
The shooting
A Medina County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to a rental property on Nov. 8 near the 1500 block of Houston Street in Castroville. A law enforcement source told KSAT that the deputy responded to the property for a mental health disturbance call.
When the deputy arrived to back up Castroville police officers on the property, she learned that a man, later identified as Duarte, made multiple threats to “kill everyone,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said Duarte told the deputy, “I’m going to kill you,” as he charged toward the deputy. In response, the deputy shot Duarte twice, the sheriff’s office said in a Nov. 12 statement.
Duarte was taken to University Hospital in San Antonio where he was pronounced dead.
The identity of the deputy who fired the weapon has not been released.
Duarte, whose social media handle was @foodwithbearhands, posted food and cooking videos that amassed more than 2.1 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
The law enforcement source also told KSAT that Duarte was in Medina County for the Texas Open Fire Meat Up, a barbecue festival scheduled for Nov. 8 in Hondo.
An Oct. 24 Instagram post from Texas Open Fire Meat Up appeared to confirm Duarte’s appearance at the festival.
Duarte wife’s, Jessica, paid tribute to her husband in a Nov. 13 post to his Instagram page.
“I’ve struggled with what to do since his passing so I’m doing what feels right and that’s sharing his stories. Whether they be about his content or Mike as my husband, daddy and friend to all,” Jessica Duarte posted, along with two photos. “I feel so touched and proud to know so many people that he has inspired over his time here on earth. I plan to keep his legacy going not only for him but his family.”
Medina County Sheriff’s Office asks Texas AG to block release bodycam video of Duarte shooting
Following multiple requests from news outlets, including KSAT 12 News, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) petitioned the state attorney general’s office on Thursday to prevent the release of body-worn camera video of last month’s shooting.
KSAT is among the outlets, which also included multiple news organizations, to ask the sheriff’s office to release video of the shooting of Duarte.
According to documents obtained by KSAT on Nov. 20, the Austin-based Bojorquez Law Firm is representing MCSO in its request.
“The County believes that the information responsive to these requests (submitted as Exhibit C) is confidential and excepted from public release and therefore requests a decision as to whether the responsive documents are excepted from disclosures,” the law firm wrote to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Office, in part.
The firm argued the release of the body-worn camera footage would compromise an ongoing “investigation” by the Texas Rangers and “a public citizen (the deputy)’s date of birth.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety told KSAT on Wednesday that it did not have an update on the investigation, which is still being led by the Texas Rangers.
More recent coverage of this story on KSAT: