Tay-K Identified as Shooter by Ex-Girlfriend During Emotional Testimony in Murder Trial

In a dramatic turn of events during the ongoing trial for the murder of Mark Saldivar, Tay-K’s former girlfriend, Joanna Reyes, has identified the rapper as the shooter. Reyes, who had previously been accused of driving the vehicle involved in the 2017 shooting, has turned government witness after accepting a plea deal on a lesser charge of tampering with evidence.

Reyes described the harrowing events leading up to Saldivar’s death, which began with a photoshoot involving the rapper, Saldivar, and two other individuals, Jalen Bell and Jeremiah Rodriguez. According to Reyes, after a confrontation between Tay-K and Saldivar, the rapper pulled out a gun and demanded Saldivar’s backpack. When the photographer refused, an assault ensued, escalating to Saldivar climbing onto the hood of the car.

Reyes tearfully testified that Tay-K then ordered her to get Saldivar down from the car. When she failed to do so, she claimed that Tay-K shot Saldivar while leaning out of the car. “He opened the door and leaned out on one leg,” she told jurors. “He shot him.”

Reyes also revealed that she did not initially report the shooting due to fear for her own safety and the threats Tay-K had made against her and her family.

Tay-K, whose rise to fame came with his 2017 hit “The Race,” is already serving time for a separate murder charge related to a 2016 home invasion. He is currently serving 30 years for aggravated robbery, with additional sentences for other charges.

The shooting of Saldivar occurred while Tay-K was on the run after cutting off his ankle monitor during house arrest. Despite his legal troubles, Tay-K has expressed in social media posts from prison his desire for a second chance at adulthood, questioning the fairness of his sentence compared to his co-defendants, particularly pointing out racial disparities in how the case was handled.