Medina County Sheriff’s deputy shot, killed food influencer accused of threatening them with knife, MCSO says
MEDINA COUNTY, Texas – A popular food influencer was shot and killed by a Medina County Sheriff’s deputy last week after the sheriff’s office said he threatened to kill her.
A Medina County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) spokesperson identified the deceased as Michael Anthony Duarte, 39.
In a sheriff’s office statement, the deputy was dispatched on a disturbance call just before 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 8 in an area near the 1500 block of Houston Street in Castroville.
A law enforcement source told KSAT that the initial 911 call was a mental health disturbance at a rental property at the Houston Street location.
MCSO said the call involved a “male subject with a knife acting erratically.”
Authorities said a sheriff’s deputy responded to the scene to back up Castroville police officers who was already in the area west of the original location.
Upon arrival at the property, the sheriff’s office described Duarte as “exhibiting erratic behavior” and making multiple threats to “kill everyone.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy told Duarte to get on the ground multiple times. However, the statement said, Duarte ran towards the deputy and threatened her with her weapon drawn.
“I’m going to kill you,” MCSO recalled Duarte yelling at the deputy. In response, the deputy shot Duarte twice, the sheriff’s office said.
Emergency personnel began rendering aid to Duarte. Authorities said Duarte was later transported to University Hospital in San Antonio, where he was pronounced dead.
In a separate statement, a Texas Rangers spokesperson said that they were “assisting” in the investigation into the deadly sheriff’s deputy shooting.
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 upcoming appearance at the festival.
An Oct. 24 Instagram post from Texas Open Fire Meat Up appeared to confirm Michael Duarte’s upcoming appearance at the Nov. 8 festival in Hondo. (@openfiremeatup on Instagram)
Duarte, whose social media handle was @foodwithbearhands, posted food and cooking videos that amassed more than 2,100,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
According to a pinned post on his Instagram page, Duarte grew up in Calipatria, a small town in California located approximately 140 miles east of San Diego and 30 miles north of the California-Mexico border.
While working at various San Diego-area restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, Duarte wrote that he began posting food videos online, including one with his daughter.
“That’s when I realized how happy creating content made me,” Duarte wrote in the Oct. 25 Instagram post. “Over time, I began to see it wasn’t just a hobby — it could be a business, (sic) something bigger than myself.”
Alooma Media Group, the agency who represented Duarte, described him as “a remarkable person” in an Instagram post on Monday.
“His warmth, kindness, and generosity were felt in every interaction, and he had a way of making everyone around him feel valued and inspired,“ the agency wrote, in part. ”Michael’s passing is a tremendous loss to all who knew him. His legacy of integrity, compassion, and dedication will continue to live on through the lives he touched.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.
You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.
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