DALLAS
On Wednesday, a man from Dallas received a 37-year prison sentence, which includes credit for time already served in state custody, after pleading guilty to charges of hate crimes related to a deadly shooting incident at an auto repair shop.
On Sept. 14, 2023, Anthony Paz Torres, 39, pleaded guilty to five federal hate crime counts for killing one individual and attempting to kill four others during a mass shooting at Omar’s Wheels and Tires in Dallas on Dec. 24, 2015.
Torres also pleaded guilty to one count of using a firearm to commit the murder.
“The defendant attempted to commit a mass shooting and intentionally targeted victims at a Muslim-owned business,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This case is an abhorrent example of how deadly Islamophobia can be in our own country and the severe consequences that wait for anyone who commits acts of hateful violence.”
“North Texans come from a variety of religious traditions and backgrounds, and no one should have to live in fear because of the way they worship,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. “This case demonstrates the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s dedication to protecting members of our north Texas community from acts of violence fueled by hatred toward any religious group. Let the message be clear: if you commit such acts, we will seek to prosecute you and send you to prison for as long as possible.”
According to court documents, Torres admitted that a few days before the shooting, he went to Omar’s Wheels and Tires, made anti-Muslim comments, and pledged that he would come back.
When he returned to the business on Dec. 24, 2015, Torres asked customers if they were Muslim.
After being escorted back to his vehicle by Omar’s Wheels and Tires employees, Torres discharged his firearm in the direction of multiple employees and customers.
Torres admitted that he killed one person and attempted to kill four other people at Omar’s Wheels and Tires because he believed that they were Muslim.
The FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana for the Northern District of Texas and Rebekah J. Bailey, formerly a Trial Attorney with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, prosecuted the case.