On a Wednesday morning, just before 11 a.m. on December 18, 2013, Hector Trochez, a 45-year-old male armored truck guard, was ambushed while making a cash delivery to a Chase Bank located at the intersection of South Carrollton and South Claiborne avenues in New Orleans. Three masked individuals, armed with firearms, unleashed a barrage of gunfire as Trochez was unloading over $265,000.
Despite attempting to defend himself, Trochez was fatally wounded by a gunshot to the head and died at the scene. The assailants seized the money and fled in a grey Chevrolet Tahoe.
The getaway vehicle was later found abandoned on Adam and Green Streets, where the suspects switched to a gray Hyundai. A crucial piece of evidence, a bandana, was recovered from the scene of the crime. The subsequent investigation into the murder of Hector Trochez was a collaborative effort involving the FBI New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. For a period, the case saw little progress, but a breakthrough came when DNA evidence from the recovered bandana was linked to a suspect.
Ultimately, six individuals were indicted in connection with the robbery and murder. The defendants were identified as Lilbear George, Jeremy Esteves, Curtis Johnson Jr., Chukwudi Ofomata, Robert Brumfield III, and Jasmine Theophile. The charges brought against them included conspiracy to obstruct interstate commerce by robbery, the substantive robbery of Mr. Trochez, and using firearms in relation to a crime of violence causing death. In November 2019, a federal jury convicted Jeremy Esteves of murder, while Robert Brumfield was found guilty of planning the robbery but was acquitted of murder. Curtis Johnson Jr. was also sentenced for his role in the armed robbery. The legal proceedings saw appeals and motions for new trials based on claims of suppressed evidence related to witness credibility.
