The online food community is in mourning after the tragic death of Michael Duarte, a California-based content creator known to his followers as FoodWithBearHands. According to a report from TMZ, Duarte was fatally shot by police officers in Texas following a disturbance call.
The Incident in Castroville, Texas
Deputies from the Medina County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call in Castroville, Texas, after receiving reports of a disturbance involving a male subject with a knife acting erratically. Authorities stated that Duarte approached the responding officers in a threatening manner.
Official reports indicate that after multiple verbal commands were given for Duarte to get on the ground, he allegedly charged toward the deputy while yelling, 'I'm going to kill you.' The deputy subsequently shot Duarte twice. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A Life Cut Short: Family and Fundraiser
The shooting occurred just three days after Duarte and his wife, Jessica, celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. The couple leaves behind a six-year-old daughter, Oakley.
A GoFundMe campaign was swiftly established to support the family, initially describing his passing only as a 'horrible incident.' The fundraiser page stated, 'This heartbreak came without warning, leaving Jessica to incur the expense of bringing him back home to California and covering funeral expenses.' The campaign's goal is to ensure financial stability for Jessica and Oakley in the aftermath of this tragedy. As of Wednesday afternoon, the campaign had seen an outpouring of support, raising more than US$64,000.
Mental Health Struggles and a Passion for Food
In a poignant Instagram post titled 'My Story,' Duarte had previously opened up about his mental health. He revealed that he hit a breaking point during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a mental health crisis and a stay in rehab.
'Looking back, I know that breakdown came from feeling like I had failed at life,' Duarte wrote. The former restaurant worker confessed that the lockdowns and the shutdown of the restaurant industry 'hit me hard and took a big toll on my confidence.'
He described how his confidence began to return while helping to rebuild a restaurant, which prompted him to create more food videos. 'That's when I realized how happy creating content made me,' he shared. 'Over time, I began to see it wasn't just a hobby — it could be a business, something bigger than myself.' His journey from a period of deep personal struggle to finding purpose and community through his food influence makes his sudden death all the more heartbreaking for his family, friends, and followers.
