A tragic incident unfolded in Beard Brook Park in Modesto, California, last week when a homeless mother was fatally run over by a lawnmower. The family of Christine Chavez, 27, claims that investigators also disrespectfully handled her remains, adding to their grief.
On July 8th, around noon, Christine Chavez was lying in the tall grass of Beard Brook Park. While she was lying down, an employee operating a John Deere tractor with a pull-behind mower unknowingly passed over her. The worker only noticed her body after making a pass through the area. Despite the employee’s immediate call to 911, Chavez was pronounced dead at the scene. Her family has expressed deep distress over what they consider a disrespectful and mishandled clean-up process.
Rosalinda, Chavez’s sister, shared her family’s anguish. She stated that the authorities left large pieces of her sister’s body exposed, covered only by the grass. The family was devastated when they visited the site seeking closure, only to discover these distressing remnants. They believe that the careless handling of Chavez’s remains may be due to her status as one of the city’s homeless residents.
Chavez had been transient for the past three to four years and often sought refuge in Beard Brook Park. However, the park had been officially acquired by the nearby E&J Gallo Winery just one day before her death. The 12-acre park was previously an authorized camping site for the area’s homeless, and it’s frequently visited by unhoused individuals. Witnesses reported seeing Chavez washing her hair in the park’s creek before settling down to sleep near the playground and baseball field.
Chavez’s family is now demanding justice for her untimely death and advocating for stronger city ordinances to protect homeless individuals. Her older brother, Randy Chavez, emphasized that his sister was loved and deserved better treatment, regardless of her homeless status. He expressed the family’s desire for change, stating that homeless individuals should be treated with the same respect as anyone else.