Jackline Patino Diaz has spoken out about the moment she had to tell her critically injured husband their 1-year-old daughter was dead.
Diaz, the mother of Janessa Milagro Mazur Diaz, gave a wrenching account to KCRA 3 after the child was killed Sunday evening at St. Mary Cemetery in Sacramento. The family had gathered at the gravesite of Janessa’s grandmother to observe Día de los Muertos when a vehicle plowed into them shortly before 5 p.m.
Janessa and her father were both struck. The child died later at the hospital from her injuries. Her father remains in intensive care with broken ribs, a fractured nose and a skull fracture.
“The first thing he asked me when I walked in the room was, ‘Where’s my baby?’ and I had to tell him she was gone,” Diaz told the TV station. “She’s not here with us anymore. It’s so crazy to think that we were just sitting at the cemetery, and he just came and ran over her, and now she’s gone. She’s not here with us.”
The driver, Miguel Guzman, 50, was arrested at the scene and booked into Sacramento County Main Jail. Police said Guzman initially stayed after the crash but then allegedly tried to flee before officers detained him. Investigators are treating the incident as a hit-and-run.
Guzman faces gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and additional DUI-related charges. His bail was set at $470,000, according to jail records. He was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.
Diaz told KCRA 3 the family had recently marked Janessa’s first birthday. “We were just celebrating, never in a bad mood,” she said.
The family launched a GoFundMe to cover Janessa’s funeral costs and her father’s medical expenses, setting a $35,000 goal. By Tuesday morning, donors had contributed more than $19,000.
“We are heartbroken beyond words. No parent should ever have to experience the pain of losing their child,” the family wrote on the fundraising page. “Our sweet Janessa was taken from us far too soon, and we would give anything to have her back in our arms.”
The family also posted a direct message to the child they lost. “Our sweet Janessa Milagro, Mommy will love you forever. You deserved a lifetime of birthdays, laughter, hugs, and beautiful memories. Your little life made an impact that will never be forgotten.”
The collision came as families throughout the region were visiting cemeteries for Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday when loved ones gather to remember those who have died. The family had assembled at St. Mary Cemetery to honor Janessa’s grandmother when the vehicle struck them at the gravesite.
“Any donation, no matter how small, would mean more than words can express,” the GoFundMe reads.
Guzman remains in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail.