DALLAS — A Dallas man has pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges connected to a fatal shooting on Christmas Eve in 2015.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Anthony Paz Torres, 38, pleaded guilty to five federal hate crime counts for killing one person and attempting to kill four others during a shooting at Omar’s Wheels and Tires, a Muslim-owned business.
Torres had gone to the business days earlier but was told by police not to return, a U.S. Attorney's Office news release stated. When he return on Christmas Eve, however, officials say he shot and killed a man and tried killing three others with a gun, then tried to kill a fourth person with his car as he was leaving.
According to police, witnesses said Anthony Torres, 30, approached employees at the business at about 3:42 p.m. and asked for a specific employee and to use their air to fill up his tires. Police said Torres was told that employee wasn't at the shop, but that he could use their air pump.
"The suspect turned around and walked toward his vehicle," the arrest warrant read. "Once arriving at his vehicle, the suspect then pulled out a firearm from his waistline and started shooting in the direction of all the witnesses that were standing in front of the business."
Police said an armed employee fired shots back.
Enrique Garcia-Mendoza, 25, was fatally wounded as he sat in the back of a vehicle parked in front of the business. Another person was listed in critical condition after he was transported to a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest. Others at the scene suffered minor injuries during the incident.
Police said authorities found Torres at Baylor Hospital, where he drove himself with gunshot wounds. Authorities said they were able to locate his vehicle at the hospital based on witnesses' descriptions and found a weapon inside.
"This defendant specifically targeted a business’s employees and customers simply because of religion," said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. "Tragically, his actions resulted in the death of an innocent person and injuries to others. Religious hatred, including anti-Muslim bigotry, has no place in America. And when that bigotry crosses the line into violence, we will not hesitate to hold perpetrators to account."
Torres’ sentencing is set for Jan. 24, 2024 and faces a maximum penalty of up to 37 years in prison, with credit for time served.
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