Transient with Violent History Given 12 Years in Prison After Taco Bell Fight

A transient who punched a man outside the Taco Bell on Pacific Avenue in October, was given 12 years in prison Wednesday by Judge Ariadne Symons. It was his third violent offense.

Randy Ruben Reyes, 55, was found guilty of blindsiding another man at 11 p.m.on the corner of Laurel Street and Pacific Avenue.

Reyes and another transient man were on the outdoor patio at the Taco Bell on the corner of Laurel and Pacific Avenue when Reyes became belligerent and started yelling at the victim. The victim left the patio area and when he was walking back onto the patio, Reyes punched him in the eye, according to the District Attorney's office. The victim had been looking down and was completely blindsided. He immediately fell back onto the ground. Reyes bent his knees and threw his full body weight into the punch.

Reyes fled toward the Metro Station and a concerned citizen followed him and ultimately flagged down the police.
The victim suffered an orbital fracture and nasal fracture.

He was treated at both Dominican Hospital and Stanford Medical Center. The victim, along with many of the other transient witnesses, could not be located for trial. The battery was caught on video by a Taco Bell surveillance camera.

Reyes has a long history of violence dating back to the late 1970s. He has been previously convicted of felony assault in 1993 and 2002. He was on felony probation at the time that he committed this crime, for threatening a police officer.