Food influencer Michael Duarte’s cause of death revealed more than a month after he was shot dead by police
A shocking turn of events has emerged months after the fatal shooting of California food influencer Michael Duarte—known online as foodwithbearhands—by a Texas sheriff’s deputy. Authorities confirmed that Duarte died from a gunshot wound and that the death was ruled a homicide, according to a spokesperson from the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, who told People on Wednesday.
The complete autopsy report is still pending, the spokesperson added.
On the afternoon of November 8, first responders answered a 911 call about a “male subject with a knife acting erratically” in Castroville, a town roughly 25 miles from San Antonio. By the time deputies arrived, Duarte was reportedly threatening to “kill everyone,” setting the stage for a volatile encounter.
“We saw him attempting to assault Fire and EMS personnel as the deputy pulled up to the scene,” officials said. “Duarte rushed toward the deputy, shouting, ‘I’m going to kill you.’ The deputy fired two shots from her service weapon," they explained.
The influencer was struck twice while charging the officer and received treatment on site. He was then transported to a San Antonio hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
What sparked Duarte’s violent outburst remains unclear. The 39‑year‑old had amassed a following of about 2 million across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, and was celebrated for showcasing his inventive, eclectic barbecue creations.
On October 25, just two weeks before his death, Duarte shared a heartfelt post on Instagram revealing his struggles during the COVID‑19 lockdown. In the message, he wrote, “I hit a breaking point and had a mental health crisis that led me to rehab,” describing the toll the shutdown had taken on his confidence. He went on to attribute his breakdown to a sense of personal failure, adding that the lockdown “hit me hard.”
Duarte had also recently celebrated nine years of marriage to his wife, Jessica, early that month. Jessica has expressed how the “outpouring of love” from fans has helped her family cope with his passing. Nearly a week after his death, she posted about her lingering grief and her growing sense that Duarte’s purpose was far larger, writing, “I’m still struggling with the fact that he is no longer with us but I’m starting to see his purpose was SO much bigger.” She added, “I’m starting to see God work in mysterious ways that I’ve never experienced before and hoping that will bring our family some peace.”
The two share a six‑year‑old daughter, Oakley, whose presence appears in several of Duarte’s social media posts. The tragedy has left a ripple of mourning across online communities and beyond.
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