Amarillo Man Killed After Attack Over SNAP Card, Three Charged

As the government shutdown continued to drag on, many Texans wondered whether or not SNAP was going to be available to them. An emergency order was indeed passed, and funds were distributed for November, thankfully.

However, that didn't seem to be enough for a few Amarillo residents who either wanted more SNAP funds or just felt they wanted to eat for free.

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Amarillo Man Beaten For SNAP Card

The incident actually took place back on September 25th, when the shutdown was looming over Texans. Many were already concerned they wouldn't see their SNAP funds for October, so panic began to set in. For whatever reason, three individuals targeted a man simply for his SNAP card.

57-year-old Paluku Valantin was allegedly beaten up for his SNAP card by a female and two males. The suspects allegedly took his SNAP card and cell phone, then fled the scene. There are also reports that one of the suspects, Alline Ndayishimiye, regularly demanded things of value from Valantin.

Victim Dies, Three Charged

After the incident, Valantin was taken in by a friend to recover from his injuries. Unfortunately, Paluku wouldn't get the chance to do that. His friend thought he'd fallen asleep in the bathroom, but when he checked on him, he found he had passed away due to his injuries.

Alline Ndayishimiye, Dashaun Timothy Jackson, and Thomas Seldon Rendon have since been charged with murder. There is a video of the attack that lines up with witness statements, as well as surveillance video from a Toot'n Totum of Ndayishimiye using Valantin's SNAP card.