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San Bernardino detectives are shedding light on what they believe to be a chilling murder-for-hire scheme that resulted in the death of 44-year-old Yesenia Torres, known as Yessica Torres. The crime, which unfolded in broad daylight, was caught on surveillance video and has sent shockwaves through the community.
The investigation points to the victim’s estranged husband, Sergio Reveles, as the mastermind behind the murder. Authorities suggest that the killing was driven by a bitter, unresolved divorce involving millions of dollars in assets. According to detectives, the case gained significant attention after collaboration between local law enforcement, the California Highway Patrol, the FBI, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The fatal incident occurred on January 10, when Torres was leaving a restaurant in San Bernardino. As she approached her vehicle, a man pulled up behind her, got out, and approached her with a gun. Initially, police believed the incident was a robbery. However, footage from multiple surveillance cameras soon revealed a much darker reality.
“There are surveillance cameras everywhere, [and] in this case, we found a lot of footage from her residence, employment, and crime scene,” said Detective Dominic Martinez of the San Bernardino Police Department.
But what the police thought was a robbery, quickly escalated into a shooting.
The video shows the gunman attacking Torres, shooting at her multiple times as she attempted to escape. At one point, a bystander rushed to help, but as Torres tried to flee into a nearby building, the gunman pursued her. The video pauses just before the final, fatal shot.
“Today marks the culmination of a near month-long investigation that took the life of Yesenia Torres,” Detective Martinez shared.
On Tuesday, authorities announced the arrests of 31-year-old Gerardo Llamas of Bakersfield, who is accused of being the shooter, and 54-year-old Arnoldo Ruelas of Los Angeles, who allegedly drove the getaway car. The arrests were made after witnesses provided crucial information from the day of the crime.
“The thing we always ask is what’s the link between the victim and the two suspects,” Martinez said. “It was in the back of our mind.”
As the investigation progressed, detectives discovered a connection to a third suspect, 37-year-old Reynaldo Ruelas, who is the brother of one of the men arrested. Reynaldo worked for a local pallet company in San Bernardino, which was owned by Torres and her estranged husband, Reveles.
Authorities believe that the dispute over the company and its assets played a pivotal role in the violent crime. “The divorce has been in the process for two years, and when there are millions you go back and forth with all the assets,” Martinez explained. “I can’t say what in this case but it was a murder for hire case.”
In the course of the investigation, police uncovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and firearms, which they believe were tied to the ongoing divorce dispute. These findings further suggested that the killing was orchestrated for financial gain.
As of now, five men have been arrested in connection with Torres’ death. The San Bernardino County District Attorney has announced that all five suspects are facing multiple charges, including murder and robbery. They are scheduled to appear in court on March 14th.
While law enforcement has worked tirelessly to piece together the details of this case, the victim’s family has remained silent. Efforts to reach Torres’ relatives for comment were unsuccessful, as they have expressed they are not yet ready to speak publicly about the tragedy.
The investigation into this murder-for-hire plot continues, as authorities work to bring justice to the victim and her family.
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