In a shocking and tragic crime, a 44-year-old California businesswoman was brutally gunned down in a parking lot in what police say was a calculated murder-for-hire scheme orchestrated by her own husband.
Yesenia “Jessica” Torres was fatally shot on January 10 in San Bernardino, and authorities revealed in a press conference Tuesday that her husband, 53-year-old Sergio Reveles, hired four men to carry out the assassination amid a bitter divorce battle.
“Definitely a murder-for-hire case. There is evidence showing the suspects stalked our victim for months before this murder,” said Detective Dominick Martinez of the San Bernardino Police Department.
Surveillance footage captured the horrifying moment when Torres exited a restaurant and got into her car. A small SUV pulled up, and 31-year-old Gerardo Llamas, armed with a gun, approached. Torres fought back, striking him with her purse and even attempting to grab the weapon. A bystander tried to intervene, but Llamas opened fire, firing nine rounds in total.
Detectives described how Torres was chased around her vehicle as shots rang out. She was struck multiple times, and in a final, fatal act, the gunman delivered the deadly shot.
Llamas, along with brothers Arnoldo and Reynaldo Ruelas, were arrested on January 16, with charges officially filed days later. As police gathered more evidence, authorities arrested Reveles and 42-year-old Juan Perez last Thursday. Investigators say Perez operated a pallet company on property owned by Torres and her husband, while Reynaldo Ruelas worked there, tying them to the crime.
Authorities uncovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and other evidence supporting their theory of a paid hit. The suspects now face murder charges with three special circumstances: lying in wait, financial gain, and committing a crime during a robbery.
“This was a senseless, calculated act of violence,” said San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman. “We hope these arrests bring even the smallest sense of justice to the victim’s family and community.”
The suspects are scheduled to appear in court on March 14.
