MEDINA COUNTY, Texas – The wife of a popular food influencer is speaking out after her husband was shot and killed by a Medina County Sheriff’s deputy last week.
On Thursday, Jessica Duarte posted a tribute for her husband, Michael Duarte, on his Instagram page, @foodwithbearhands.
“l’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.”
She went on to thank the people who have reached out to her.
“Im still struggling with the fact that he is no longer with us but l’m starting to see his purpose was SO much bigger,” she wrote. “I’m starting to see God work in mysterious ways that l’ve never experienced before and hoping that will bring our family some peace.”
Michael Duarte, 39, was shot by a deputy on Nov. 8 in an area near the 1500 block of Houston Street in Castroville, according to the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.
A law enforcement source told KSAT that the initial 911 call was a mental health disturbance at a rental property on Houston Street.
MCSO said the call involved a “male subject with a knife acting erratically.”
A sheriff’s deputy responded to the scene to back up Castroville police officers who were already in the area west of the original location.
Upon arrival at the property, the sheriff’s office described Michael Duarte as “exhibiting erratic behavior” and making multiple threats to “kill everyone.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy told Michael Duarte to get on the ground multiple times. However, the statement said, Duarte ran toward 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. He was taken to University Hospital in San Antonio, where he was pronounced dead.
On Thursday, KSAT spoke with a homeowner in Castroville who said Duarte was staying in a tent on the property, which has an Airbnb.
Duarte was a guest of the person renting the Airbnb but was not on the reservation.
The tent where Duarte was staying visibly shows blood stains, which the homeowner suspects are Duarte’s.
Watch a video shared by the homeowner below:
The homeowner said the shooting happened on the street and not on their property.
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 that 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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