Atascadero community rallies to support family of boy killed in hit-and-run
Since 11-year-old José Gutiérrez was killed in a fatal hit-and-run crash in Atascadero on Friday, the community has shown up in full force to support his family.
Almost immediately, a memorial site cropped up on the sidewalk of El Camino Real where the boy was hit, full of flowers, candles and keepsakes from community members in honor of José’s life, and a vigil was held on Saturday.
José’s mother visited the memorial site on Monday.
Overcome with grief, she fell to her knees in front of the elaborate display that is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. She held a photo of her son close to her chest and cried.
“I don’t have words right now,” Gabrielle Gutiérrez, José’s aunt, told The Tribune at the memorial site on Friday.
Within three days of the tragedy, a GoFundMe far exceeded its goal raising money for the family to bring José’s body back to Mexico for burial. The fundraiser closed over the weekend, but the family is still accepting direct donations via Venmo.
Zachary Bernal, 31, of Atascadero was arrested on unrelated charges within hours of the hit-and-run. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office charged him with two felonies and one misdemeanor on Tuesday.
Bernal was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony hit and run resulting in death. The hit-and-run charge carries a sentencing enhancement for fleeing a vehicular manslaughter. He was also charged with misdemeanor possession of a narcotic controlled substance.
Few people actually witnessed what happened on the day of the crash.
But The Tribune did speak to one of the first people on the scene moments after the boy was hit, revealing more details of the tragedy.
Community support for hit-and-run victim and family continues to grow
The memorial site on the sidewalk of El Camino Real has grown tremendously since Friday.
What started as a small corner of the gravel sidewalk has turned into an expansive tribute of items in honor of the boy’s life.
Countless votive candles and bouquets of flowers line about 10 feet of the sidewalk and encircle the site, delivered by visiting community members. The memorial could barely be contained under the tent set up overhead to protect it from the rain as strangers stopped by to help fit everything under the cover.
Symbols unique to José could be seen among the collection of objects: a Darth Vader bobblehead, a Mario balloon, a muffin, a large bag of Blue Heat Takis, many stuffed animals and a soccer boll scrawled with the words: “Can’t believe last time we played was with this ball.”
Notes and cards to José and his family also sprinkled the display, collected daily by a family member.
Gabrielle Gutiérrez, José’s aunt, gathered the letters on Friday before it rained.
“He loved to play soccer,” she said.
Then she fell silent, at a loss for words.
Oliver Hokit, a friend of José’s from summer camp, stopped by the memorial site on Friday with his father to deliver a poster he made signed by all the students from the Atascadero Fine Arts Academy. The boy carefully added the rolled-up paper sign into the growing pile of remembrances.
“He’s just a great person,” Oliver said about his friend. “He was very caring. I’m lucky to have been able to meet him.”
Oliver, 12, said he’d known José since kindergarten. At summer camp, “he was the only person I would spend time with,” he said.
“He just doesn’t deserve to be gone,” the boy said.
Early responder describes the aftermath of fatal hit-and-run
José’s memorial is on the sidewalk in front of the Danish Care Center for aged care in Atascadero, next to where he was hit.
Administrator Matt Maxwell was one of the first people to respond to the scene on Friday afternoon.
“It was just not — it’s just one of those things that you will never forget,” Maxwell told The Tribune on Monday. “It’s one of those things that just is not supposed to happen.”
José was hit while walking home from school on Friday. The distance between the bus stop and his home is short, “maybe 100 yards or so,” Maxwell said.
But José didn’t make it home that day.
Just before 3 p.m. on Friday, Maxwell had just sat down for a meeting with Danish Care staff when someone knocked on the door reporting an emergency outside. Maxwell and Danish’s director of nursing ran outside to find a “horrific scene,” he said.
By the time they got outside, José’s mother was already there, next to her son’s body. Maxwell said her cries could be heard from far away.
There were a few other children on the scene, too, friends of José’s who had been walking home with him from school. They were able to jump out of the way, Maxwell said. Another one of José’s friends stood next to his body on the road.
The director of nursing attempted to perform lifesaving measures including CPR until first responders arrived, Maxwell said.
When it became clear the boy was not responding, the nursing director started praying with his mother, who was “understandably beside herself,” Maxwell said. He then ran to the care center to get sheets to cover José’s body and protect his dignity.
Shortly later, law enforcement arrived, and José was pronounced dead at the scene.
Danish Care staff continued to bring chairs, water and blankets to family members for the coming hours, doing “anything that they needed,” Maxwell said.
“Just reminds you to hold your loved ones a little bit tighter,” Maxwell said.
In the days since the crash, Danish Care Center staff have continued to check in on the memorial site, helping to keep objects out of the rain, Maxwell said.
“One of the very few silver linings in these things is just seeing the power of our community and how everybody really has kind of come together in this,” Maxwell said.
To the Gutiérrez family, Maxwell sends a message of support.
“Our most heartfelt condolences to the family, and if there’s anything that the family or the community needs that Danish Health can do to support them, we absolutely would like to do that,” Maxwell said.
