SAN JOSE — A person now charged with homicide within the taking pictures dying of his fellow bus driver reportedly owed the sufferer cash over NFL and school soccer bets, and the pair have been assembly to settle that debt when the gunfire erupted final week in a Valley Transportation Authority car parking zone, authorities say.
Court docket paperwork filed Wednesday present that witness accounts and surveillance video helped Santa Clara County sheriff’s investigators join Duc Minh Bui to the killing of 45-year-old Regulus “Regus” Teotico on Friday evening on the VTA Chaboya Division Yard at on South Seventh Road close to Tully Street.
Bui, 33, of San Jose, was charged with a single rely of homicide and was scheduled for arraignment Wednesday on the Corridor of Justice in San Jose. The legal grievance contains a number of charging enhancements that might enhance a possible jail sentence, together with an allegation that “the crime concerned an tried or precise taking or injury of nice financial worth.”
In keeping with a possible trigger affidavit submitted by sheriff’s Sgt. Hakeem Lee, a number of days earlier than the taking pictures, Teotico had informed a pal that he and a co-worker — presumed to be Bui — have been assembly within the worker lot of the bus yard round 9:30 p.m. Friday evening to gather cash Bui owed him from betting on soccer video games.
The pal informed investigators that Teotico had requested him to attend the meetup “make certain issues went easily”; as he drove towards the lot, he noticed Teotico sitting in his black Mercedes and speaking to somebody standing outdoors the automobile.
Earlier than the pal reached the lot, he reported listening to two to 3 “bangs,” adopted by the sight of a white automobile, which had beforehand been parked subsequent to Teotico, all of a sudden driving previous him. The pal briefly adopted that automobile on South Seventh Road earlier than turning again to go test on Teotico.
In keeping with investigators, the pal discovered Teotico slumped backwards within the driver’s seat with the automobile door open. Responding emergency personnel noticed a number of gunshot wounds and pronounced Teotico lifeless on the scene at 9:53 p.m.
Video surveillance confirmed that about 20 minutes earlier, Teotico pulled into the lot and parked, and the motive force of a white Nissan Versa parked subsequent to him, in accordance with the affidavit. The 2 have been then seen trying into the open automobile trunk of the Mercedes, after which Teotico closed the trunk and re-entered his automobile.
That was quickly adopted by the sight of a person since recognized as Bui, sporting blue latex gloves and carrying a small black bag, open the passenger door of Teotico’s automobile. The affidavit alleges that Bui then pulled a black gun out of the bag and fired by way of the passenger compartment of the Mercedes.
Three .40-caliber bullet casings have been recovered by investigators. The affidavit states that at the least three VTA workers recognized Bui because the shooter after watching surveillance footage.
Bui was arrested Sunday simply after midday at his San Jose residence, the place investigators reported seizing three weapons, together with two Glock .40-caliber pistols. All the weapons have been registered to Bui.
VTA Common Supervisor Carolyn Gonot mentioned at a Monday information convention that Teotico had labored for VTA for 10 years and was “a sort, hard-working driver who was well-known amongst his colleagues,” and was the daddy of two teenage youngsters.
Sheriff’s Capt. Sugey Jaimez mentioned Monday that Bui had no legal historical past within the county and that the preliminary investigation didn’t flip up warning indicators about imminent violence, saying, “So far as we all know, there (are) no crimson flags.”
The taking pictures has shaken the VTA workforce and broader group, because it evoked a disgruntled worker’s Could 2021 bloodbath at a VTA railyard that ended with 9 deaths and the shooter killing himself in what stands because the deadliest mass taking pictures in Bay Space historical past.
Anybody with details about Friday’s VTA taking pictures can contact the sheriff’s workplace at 408-808-4500 or the sheriff’s nameless tip line at 408-808-4431.
This can be a creating story. Examine again for updates.
