In the early morning hours of October 27, 2019, amidst the costumed crowds of the annual Reno Zombie Crawl, a fatal encounter unfolded. Luis Torres-Mederos, a 22-year-old man, was shot after an evening that should have been filled with harmless fun. The event, a massive bar crawl where participants dress as zombies and other characters, took a dark turn on a downtown street outside a casino.
Torres-Mederos had met Juan Carlos Hernandez that night.
For reasons that remain unclear, Hernandez, a former Klamath Falls resident who had moved to Reno, turned violent. At the time of the incident, Torres-Mederos was reportedly using Hernandez's phone to arrange for a ride. It was then that Hernandez shot him. Private security guards in the area quickly detained Hernandez until Reno police arrived and took him into custody.
Following the shooting, Torres-Mederos was rushed to a local hospital with critical injuries. He fought for his life for three days before succumbing to his wounds on October 30, 2019. The senseless act of violence left a community in shock and a family mourning the loss of a young life.
The immediate investigation led to the arrest of Juan Carlos Hernandez. At the time of his arrest, Hernandez, who was dressed as "The Joker" movie character, identified himself to officers as "Arthur Fleck," the Joker's real name in the film. Hernandez was charged with the murder of Luis Torres-Mederos. Following a three-week trial, he was found guilty of second-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. The court sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
