Posted: October 4, 2023, 02:35h.
Last updated: October 4, 2023, 02:35h.
A chef accused of killing a colleague at a Gentry, Ark. restaurant on his second day on the job has been ruled fit to stand trial for capital murder, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.
But lawyers for the defendant, Martin Tavarez-Torres, have requested a further evaluation to determine his criminal responsibility at the time of the shooting.
Tavarez-Torres, 23, is accused of fatally shooting Fidel Mercado Reyes, 40, in the kitchen of the La Huerta Mexican restaurant in Gentry on November 10, 2021, allegedly motivated by Reyes’ casino winnings.
Reyes had recently won a significant sum of money playing slots at the Cherokee Casino in West Siloam Springs, Okla. Unable to cash the ticket due to a lack of a valid passport, Reyes had planned to cash it on the day he was murdered.
Ticket Found
Despite the alleged motive, detectives found the winning ticket and Reyes’ new passport in his jacket in the restaurant’s cloakroom.
Tavarez-Torres, who had recently relocated to Gentry from Oklahoma and is the nephew of the restaurant’s owner, had stayed at the victim’s house the night before the incident.
According to court filings, other staff members reported that Tavarez-Torres exhibited unusual behavior at work and spent 15 to 20 minutes in the bathroom just before the shooting.
Tavarez-Torres allegedly shot Reyes in the back of the head with a 9mm handgun while multiple staff members were nearby. He fled the scene in a dark gray Chevrolet pickup truck, still wearing his chef’s attire – a white apron and a black hat.
911 Call
In a frantic 911 call, the restaurant’s manager initially described the victim as having fallen and bleeding from the head. However, another voice interrupted to say that the victim had been shot in the head.
When asked by the dispatcher who shot the victim, the manager identified Tavarez-Torres as “the cook who just started yesterday.”
Tavarez-Torres sought refuge at his brother’s house but was reported to the police by his sister-in-law due to his suspicious behavior.
Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green has temporarily suspended proceedings and granted the request for a second mental health evaluation.
Prosecutors have decided not to pursue the death penalty, and if convicted, Tavarez-Torres will face life imprisonment without parole.