SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KCAL/KCBS) – Five men have been charged in connection with the shooting death of a California businesswoman. Police say the suspects were hired by the victim’s husband to kill her.
Yesenia “Jessica” Torres, 44, was fatally shot Jan. 10 in a parking lot in San Bernardino. Police announced Tuesday morning in a news conference that the victim’s husband, 53-year-old Sergio Reveles, hired four men to kill her.
“Definitely a murder-for-hire case. There is evidence to show that the suspects did stalk our victim for several days and months prior to this murder,” said Detective Dominick Martinez with the San Bernardino Police Department.
Police say the incident stemmed from a “contentious divorce” between Torres and Reveles.
“Jessica was a businesswoman in our community. She was well known and well respected by many throughout the community,” said San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman.
Security video from the day of the murder shows Torres walking out of a restaurant and getting in her car. A small SUV drives up, and an armed passenger, later identified as 31-year-old Gerardo Llamas, gets out and approaches Torres’ car. Torres jumps out of her car. There’s a struggle as she hits Llamas with her purse and even grabs the gun. A good Samaritan runs out to help, but then, the suspect opens fire.
“There’s a total of nine rounds shot at the victim,” Martinez said.
Detectives described what happened next after they froze the video.
“Chasing her around the vehicle, firing multiple times at her. Unfortunately, she was struck, slowed her down, and the suspect again shot her an additional time with a fatal wound,” Martinez said.
Llamas and brothers Arnoldo and Reynaldo Ruelas, 54 and 37, respectively, were arrested Jan. 16, and charges were filed by the district attorney’s office Jan. 21.
After police gathered more information, additional search warrants were executed for Reveles and 42-year-old Juan Perez. Authorities say they were arrested last Thursday.
Police say it was initially difficult to find a connection between all the suspects and Torres. They say Perez ran a pallet company on property owned by the victim and her husband while Reynaldo Ruelas worked there.
Court documents state all five men assisted in the crime. Investigators say they recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and other evidence to prove their murder-for-hire theory.
District Attorney Jason Anderson says the men are being charged with murder with three special circumstances, which include lying in wait, financial gain and crime committed in the commission of a robbery.
Police say they hope the arrests will bring a little peace to those wondering how this could have happened at all.
“I pray the efforts of our team of investigators bring some small measure of closure to the family and all those impacted by this,” Goodman said.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in court March 14.
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