Witnesses or thieves? A father's final hours

PHOENIX, Ariz. — A Phoenix father died after he was trapped under his family’s car while attempting to fix it, and bystanders reportedly robbed him instead of offering assistance, according to family members.

Jeronimo Garcia Guerra, 45, likely remained beneath the vehicle for hours after the jack collapsed, police said. Family members indicated that emergency services were not alerted until around noon, after Guerra arrived at the parking lot at approximately 9:45 a.m.

“Who knows when the car really fell on him,” Monica Garcia, Guerra’s daughter, told AZFamily. “Who knows how long he’s been under there.”

Witnesses allegedly stole items from Guerra’s pockets, looted the vehicle he was attempting to repair, and also took the vehicle he arrived in, according to family members. “After everything, they went through my dad’s pockets and my mom’s car, and they saw them leave with my car,” Monica Garcia said.

Family members expressed anger over the actions of bystanders. Jerry Garcia Jr., Guerra’s son, said his father always believed that assistance may not come in dire situations. “In this situation, he was right,” Jerry Garcia told AZFamily.

The incident occurred less than two miles from Guerra’s home. Monica Garcia criticized those who did not assist her father. “It’s hard because I would never do that to somebody,” she said. “I could care less about my car, but at least they could have stayed there with him until help came."

Guerra’s vehicle was later found abandoned by authorities not far from the scene. Monica Garcia emphasized that the loss was not just material. “That’s somebody’s dad, somebody’s husband, a grandparent, somebody’s best friend. He’s my person. And I don’t have that anymore because somebody couldn’t stop and check,” she said.

Police have not made any arrests in connection with the incident, and their investigation is ongoing.