A Boyle Heights community was still grieving Friday night over the death of a homeless man who was killed Sunday by a suspected drunk driver. Now, they are trying to find his biological family in Mexico.
Church organizers remember Francisco Gaytan as a contributing member of their community whose life came to a sudden end when a suspected DUI driver struck Francisco Gaytan as he stood at a popular taco truck on the corner of 4th Street and Clarence.
Ellie Hidalgo of Dolores Mission Church said she saw Francisco that night before he left to get food, but he never returned.
"He lived in our shelter but he worked in construction. He had gotten home late that night, so he had missed the dinner that we serve to the homeless men and women," Hidalgo said.
Neighbors and friends, some who didn't even know Gaytan, mourned and solemnly marched from the church to the crash site where they gathered to pray for the Mexico native.
Now, the priority of Gaytan's friends is to find his family in Mexico and they were asking for anyone with information about him to come forward.
"We have a meeting with the Consulate of Mexico on Tuesday to see if they can help us locate his family. We believe he's from the state of San Luis Potosí," said Maegan Ortiz at the Institute for Popular Education.
"Francisco Gaytan, he has a family, and we're hoping to connect with that family," Ortiz said.
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With no official family to claim him yet, Gaytan's body remained at the Los Angeles County Morgue Friday night.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department, 34-year-old Maribel Rosas who was suspected of DUI, is expected to appear in court July 18.
It was not immediately clear if Rosas had an attorney.
