A young California mother was run over by a lawnmower while lying down in a park – her traumatized family said they later found ‘fragments’ of her remains.
Christine Chavez, 27, was lying in a weedy area of Modesto’s Beard Brook Park on July 8 when a worker mowing the lawn ran her over.
The lawnmower – driving a John Deere tractor with a pull-behind mower – was able to identify Chavez’s body after mowing over Chavez.
Her father, Christopher Chavez, said that when he visited the scene of her death, parts of her body were still lying there. Some of his clothes were also falling.
‘There were a lot of pieces (of her remains) and I called the police,’ Chavez said. ‘I went there and I still have pieces of bone, like pieces of his skull and some teeth. It’s terrible.’
Christine Chavez was lying in Modesto’s Beard Brook Park on July 8 when she was run over by a lawnmower.
The 27-year-old mother of one was lying in a weedy area when a John Deere tractor pulled behind a mower struck her and killed her.
A patch of blood-stained grass is seen near where Chavez was tragically killed
Chavez was homeless at the time of his death and leaves behind a nine-year-old daughter who is being cared for by his family.
Another female family member, who did not want to be named, told Fox40: ”I mean, big chunks of it are all over the place, just covered in grass.
‘We should go, you know, the place looks good.
‘And to be right there, look at the ground and then see, the clumps of hair are horrible.’
E&J Gallo Winery, which bought the park a day before Chavez was killed, released a statement Friday,
‘Gallo acquired the Beard Brook Park property in Modesto on Friday, July 7, 2023. On Saturday, July 8, 2023, a landscaping contractor was hired to perform weed control and fire prevention services.’
‘At approximately 12:00 noon an accident occurred involving the contractor’s tractor and a man who was not visible and lying in a tall, weedy area. The contractor immediately contacted the Modesto Police Department and upon arrival, MPD officers pronounced the man deceased.’
‘Gallo extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,’ the statement continued.
Grover Landscaping Services, who cut the park’s grass, also released a statement Friday.
‘In a dry, overgrown area, our operator discovered the body of a female affected by a pull-behind mower, at which time she contacted the Modesto Police Department,’ the statement said.
Both Gallo and Grover have pledged to cooperate with any investigation into Chavez’s death.
Chavez’s father shared photos of clothing from the scene, though it’s unclear if it was his daughter’s
Chavez is homeless and has a 9-year-old daughter that her family is now committed to caring for
Beard Brook Park in Modesto was purchased by a private company the day before Chavez died
The mower – driving a John Deere tractor with a pull-behind mower – was able to see Chavez’s body just after cutting over Chavez.
Her father, Christopher Chavez, said that when he visited the scene of her death, parts of her body were still lying there.
Chavez’s brother-in-law, Jose Germeno, said he had experience with the machine that killed his sister-in-law and believes negligence may have been involved.
‘I work with machines, I know when you’re with machines, you pay attention to what’s in front of you, especially if something’s pulling behind you,’ Germano told Fox 40. ‘And don’t see anything lying down for him. In front of him, he wasn’t doing his job.’
Chavez’s family says they will do everything they can to get justice for their beloved daughter.
Christine’s mother, Josefina Chavez, said: ‘I am sorry for what happened to my daughter, and I want justice for the way she died.’
At a city council meeting, Dez Martinez, a member of We Are Not Invisible, a homeless advocacy organization, criticized the city and said his heart broke for Chavez’s father.
Christine’s mother, Josefina Chavez, said: ‘I am sorry for what happened to my daughter and we want justice for her death.
Both Modesto police and Mayor Sue Zwahlen spoke at the same meeting, apologizing for Chavez’s death but calling it an accident.
‘He doesn’t even see his daughter,’ she said. ‘You can kiss your children goodnight. If you bury them, you will see them. He didn’t. Thank you.’
Martinez criticized the treatment of Modesto’s homeless population beyond what happened to Chavez.
‘What happened to building affordable housing, small villages, safe camps, putting people on the streets so they don’t get raped, killed and run away while sleeping in parks?’
Both Modesto police and Mayor Sue Zwahlen spoke at the same meeting, apologizing for Chavez’s death but calling it an accident.
The family has started a gofundme to raise money for Chavez’s daughter and get justice for Christine.
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