Regulus Teotico Obituary, Death; – A Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority employee expressed frustration over financial matters prior to allegedly killing a colleague at a VTA bus yard in San Jose three days ago, as reported by investigators during a news conference on Monday afternoon.
The victim of the homicide was identified as Regulus Teotico, a veteran VTA bus operator and father of two teenagers, according to VTA CEO Carolyn Gonot. “He was a kind and dedicated driver, well-respected among his peers,” Gonot stated.
A captain from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department indicated that both Teotico and the accused, 33-year-old Duc Minh Bui, were employed as bus drivers at the Chaboya Division Yard located on South 7th Street in San Jose. The area where they worked became a crime scene following the fatal shooting of Teotico in the employee parking lot.
The captain noted that both individuals engaged in similar activities outside of their VTA duties, including gambling. Investigators believe that a financial dispute related to betting activities was the motive for the homicide.
The incident occurred at 9:53 p.m. on September 20. Sheriff’s detectives conducted an intensive investigation to identify and apprehend the shooter. Within 48 hours of the incident, Bui was arrested outside his residence and subsequently booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on charges of first-degree murder.
Many VTA employees are still grappling with the trauma from a mass shooting in 2021 that resulted in the deaths of nine of their colleagues. On May 26, 2021, a disgruntled employee opened fire in a break room at the transit agency’s Guadalupe Division facility. The assailant, 57-year-old Samuel James Cassidy, discharged 39 rounds before taking his own life as law enforcement officers entered the building.
On Monday, Sheriff Bob Jonsen acknowledged that the recent shooting reignites concerns regarding workplace violence. Jonsen remarked, “This was an utterly senseless crime. It is not lost on us that this incident revives memories of the tragic event where nine employees lost their lives. It is essential for people to feel safe.”
