A former West Hollywood resident and social media influencer who was charged with murder and reckless driving for a fatal collision last October on Fountain Avenue was found dead on March 4 at his parents’ home in Florida.
Garrett Richard Bruno, 33, was driving an SUV on Oct. 10 that crashed into another vehicle at Fountain and Spaulding avenues, resulting in the death of Esther Abouab, 83, and injuring her husband Joe Abouab. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Bruno on Nov. 15 with murder and reckless driving. Bruno posted $1.2 million bail on Feb. 3 and was released pending trial in the criminal case.
Bruno was found dead in Mount Dora, Fla., and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has been coordinating with authorities in Lake County regarding the criminal case. Authorities in Florida conducted an autopsy on Bruno on March 5 but the cause of death has not been finalized pending toxicology tests.
“On Feb. 25, the court ordered the Florida Department of Health to deliver health records to the court on or before March 26, which is the next court date set for preliminary hearing setting,” read a statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. “Once the office has confirmed [the] death with the state of Florida, we will file to dismiss the case.”
Bruno was an influencer on social media known for his Instagram account Garrett Travels, which has 61,000 followers. He was also a polarizing figure in West Hollywood known for his support for President Donald Trump.
Days after the fatal collision, footage was posted online by the Daily Mail showing Bruno snorting a white powder in public. Bruno later posted on social media that the powder was prescription ketamine that he was taking for mental health treatment. Officials with the medical examiner’s office in Lake County, Florida, said the autopsy was conducted because the decedent was a relatively young man with no medical conditions, and there were no visible indications of how he died. The final results of the autopsy and toxicology tests are expected to be complete within 6-8 weeks.




0 Comment