Market vendor beaten and left dying in park

Meanwhile, a fruit and vegetable vendor is clinging to life tonight at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Early Sunday morning, Desidorio Garcia was attacked and badly beaten when he was heading to the market, where he worked for three years selling for a stall owner. The vendor originally lived at mile twenty-eight on the Hummingbird Highway and moved to the city to earn a living. News Five caught up his family today. They found Garcia severely injured with injuries to his head, a swollen face, bruises to rib cage and other wounds. Jose Sanchez followed this story today.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Desiderio Garcia was viciously beaten at Constitution Park some time after three a.m. on of Saturday morning. Garcia was up early on his way to the temporary Queen’s Square Market when he was attacked at the park, located across the street from the market. His family members were shocked to hear that the fifty-five year old father and grandfather was battered almost to death.

George Reyes, Son-in-law of Desiderio Garcia
“He was coming towards the market and some guys attack him. They really hurt him bad; he’s bad in a bad condition. And I hope the police make justice for this you know because this is not right. He’s a cool man; he no mess with no one. You can ask anyone here in the market, he’s a good man. And all I have to say is to make them do some justice, you know.”

Jose Sanchez
“What time and when did it happen?”

George Reyes
“He was coming towards the market, three o’clock in the morning and they find him seven o’clock right here in the park.”

Jose Sanchez
“Is it normal for him to be out here this late?”

George Reyes
“Maybe because he’s working here he wants to come to reach the market early to get here to see what he could do to make money.”

Hugo Ramirez, Vendor
“He da wah hard working man. He work wid everybody and ih helpful. He no faas wid nobody. Its true ih like drink and so but he faas wid nobody so we surprise to hear what happen to ah. Nobody si, nobody noh know who do it.”

Jose Sanchez
“Do you feel like he was taken advantage of?”

Hugo Ramirez
“I feel like dehn tek advantage ah ah cause dehn mussi think di man had money pan ah because he used to go sell fi den yah people pan bicycle cart. So maybe dehn think di man had money pan ah because dehn noh know if he sells for himself or for somebody else.”

Garcia did not own a stall but rode a cart on which he sold fruits and vegetables. He made enough money on Friday to purchase a padlock for his cart, which remains stationary today. According to Dwight Palacio, he and Garcia both worked for stall owner in the market.

Dwight Palacio, Vendor
“I come round yah come help di boss just like weh he do. So I si di man drink but ih noh bother nobody. Di man dah wah hard working man so I noh si why dehn chance ah like dat.”

Jose Sanchez
“You think it was robbery?”

Dwight Palacio
“Well, ih should be robbery yeah, which he noh got nothing much pan ah. Dah just some guys weh idle.”

Jose Sanchez
“What kind of man is Desidirio?”

Dwight Palacio
“Weh we do we would ah ker potatoes, cabbage and stuff to different people and help miss Judith. Dat’s all we do and we get wi lee commission and mek we lee money fi help wiself.”

Jose Sanchez
“So everybody dah di market know unnu fi be hard working and work wid everybody.”

Dwight Palacio
“We hard working and help everybody you know. From his family behalf, dehn should get justice but dat wah hard because nobody noh si nothing.”

Jose Sanchez
“And if you take a look at his age, this is a horrible thing to do. What kind of person would do this to him?”

Dwight Palacio
“Right now di way dehn seh he deh, he critical and ih hard you know. So all ah we di hope fi mek ih get back and try come back round and thing too.”

Jose Sanchez
“And you hope for some justice right?”

Dwight Palacio
“Yeah I hope fi justice if any justice could happen.”

Jose Sanchez
“What did the doctors say about his condition?”

George Reyes
“He’s in a very critical condition, maybe he won’t make it but I hope he makes it, you know. You have to believe in God and trust in God.”

Jose Sanchez
“When it comes to family, does he had a wife and kids?”

George Reyes
“He has fourteen kids and his wife is not with him again. She already left him that’s why he come and work here in the market.”

Garcia’s prognosis is grim and his family members at the K.H.M.H. hope that he will pull through. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

It is believed the motive for the beating was robbery and up to news time no arrests had been made.