VictoriaCosplay
Grandpop
My grandpop recently passed away and my heart is broken. Some bastard murdered him; they took him away from me and my family. I love you grandpop and I know you are in heaven. I miss you.
Did his war on druggies cost cop's dad his life?
He's found beaten to death at home
By DAVID GAMBACORTA & CHRISTINE OLLEY
When the sun first filled the sky each morning, Dario Gutierrez
shuffled out of his beige stucco rowhouse with a broom in hand.
He would promptly go to work, sweeping his three small steps and the
area in front of his fenced-in yard with the speed and urgency of a
man on a mission.
When his first task was finished, Gutierrez, 79, would stroll through
his Fairhill neighborhood and survey his surroundings.
He would beam at the three-story, red- and orange-brick homes that
the city built across the street from him several years ago, and cast
a disdainful eye towards the local drug dealers who gathered on his
corner and threatened to derail any progress this blighted area had
made.
During his daily strolls, Gutierrez's family said, he would stop to
offer words of wisdom to youngsters at a nearby playground. He would
even open his home and wallet to people he knew were down on their
luck, usually donating a couple of bucks or a quick meal to ease
their troubles.
At night, he would be back on the streets, patrolling the area in
cars with more than a dozen other seniors in a feisty town-watch
group.
But the positive energy and good will that Gutierrez generated in his
community was forever snuffed out earlier this week when someone
bludgeoned the kind-hearted elderly man to death in his home on
Mascher Street near Somerset.
He was found dead in his living room on Tuesday by two of his
daughters, police said. Neighbors had last seen him alive on Sunday.
"This is a 79-year-old man who was slain in cold blood for no
reason," Chief Inspector Joe Fox said yesterday. "He was very active
in trying to lead his neighborhood in a fight against the drug
activity, especially on this corner."
Gutierrez left behind seven stunned children, including a son, a police officer in the 26th District. His family believes that Gutierrez was killed by
someone from his neighborhood, that he was betrayed by someone he
probably mistook for a friend.
"We were always concerned by the way he would invite people into his
house," said the youngest of Dario's three
daughters.
"There was a lot of shady characters, and it didn't seem like a safe
thing to do. But he would say, 'Oh, they're just friends I'm helping
out.'
"I believe my father invited someone into his home, and they wanted
more than he was willing to give. It got out of hand... and he was
killed."
Gutierrez's killing has driven a stake through the heart of his close-
knit family.
"He was always so nice, so respectful; I feel so sorry for his
family," said neighbor Elizabeth Rodriguez.
Added Capt. Lou Campione, commander of the 26th District: "Incidents
like this remind us that we're vulnerable, and as police, we're not
immune to what can happen out there. We're praying for the family."
His daughter said she and her siblings idolized her father, who
immigrated from Puerto Rico when he was in his 20s, met their mother,
Juana, and built a full life as a chef for Penn Mutual Life Insurance
Co. The always-active Gutierrez moonlighted as a percussionist and
background vocalist in a salsa band, a job he continued to hold.
She said her and her father planned to travel to Puerto Rico this
summer together for the first time. "He was extremely active," "It was difficult to get him to sit still. We were amazed at
the energy he had."
Gutierrez moved to his corner home on Mascher Street about 15 years
ago, and largely lived alone. His wife, Juana, has Alzheimer's
disease and is in hospice care.
"We didn't like him living here," his daughter said.
"But he was set in his ways. He refused to move. I offered to have an
architect fix up his house, but he turned that down, too."
Gutierrez discovered a new passion, town watch, five years ago. He
quickly became the most vocal member of the Eagle Town Watch Group,
composed of retired folks.
"He was very friendly, very open, and very dedicated to the town-
watch group," said Dr. Alicia Mette, community specialist for the
city's Town Watch Integrated Services.
"He strived on emphasizing that people should have dignity and keep
their neighborhood clean," Mette said.
"He was also very worried that drug dealers were trying to start up
on his corners again."
Gutierrez's family said he never thought twice about telling young
dealers to abandon his corner, leading police to believe that he
could have become a target.
"Those who are regularly engaged in drug activity regularly make
assumptions as to who calls the police," Fox said.
"If sales are going on right out here, these thugs and cowards may
assume that because he lives in this corner property, that he was the
one calling the police."
Members of the police Narcotics Field Unit 2 and FBI Squad 3 served
arrest warrants a block away from Gutierrez's home last night to
collect information about his murder, said FBI spokeswoman Jerri
Williams.
"We are going to leave no stone unturned until we bring in the person
or persons responsible for this," Fox said.
Anyone with information about this crime should contact Homicide
investigators
Grandpop
My grandpop recently passed away and my heart is broken. Some bastard murdered him; they took him away from me and my family. I love you grandpop and I know you are in heaven. I miss you.
Did his war on druggies cost cop's dad his life?
He's found beaten to death at home
By DAVID GAMBACORTA & CHRISTINE OLLEY
When the sun first filled the sky each morning, Dario Gutierrez
shuffled out of his beige stucco rowhouse with a broom in hand.
He would promptly go to work, sweeping his three small steps and the
area in front of his fenced-in yard with the speed and urgency of a
man on a mission.
When his first task was finished, Gutierrez, 79, would stroll through
his Fairhill neighborhood and survey his surroundings.
He would beam at the three-story, red- and orange-brick homes that
the city built across the street from him several years ago, and cast
a disdainful eye towards the local drug dealers who gathered on his
corner and threatened to derail any progress this blighted area had
made.
During his daily strolls, Gutierrez's family said, he would stop to
offer words of wisdom to youngsters at a nearby playground. He would
even open his home and wallet to people he knew were down on their
luck, usually donating a couple of bucks or a quick meal to ease
their troubles.
At night, he would be back on the streets, patrolling the area in
cars with more than a dozen other seniors in a feisty town-watch
group.
But the positive energy and good will that Gutierrez generated in his
community was forever snuffed out earlier this week when someone
bludgeoned the kind-hearted elderly man to death in his home on
Mascher Street near Somerset.
He was found dead in his living room on Tuesday by two of his
daughters, police said. Neighbors had last seen him alive on Sunday.
"This is a 79-year-old man who was slain in cold blood for no
reason," Chief Inspector Joe Fox said yesterday. "He was very active
in trying to lead his neighborhood in a fight against the drug
activity, especially on this corner."
Gutierrez left behind seven stunned children, including a son, a police officer in the 26th District. His family believes that Gutierrez was killed by
someone from his neighborhood, that he was betrayed by someone he
probably mistook for a friend.
"We were always concerned by the way he would invite people into his
house," said the youngest of Dario's three
daughters.
"There was a lot of shady characters, and it didn't seem like a safe
thing to do. But he would say, 'Oh, they're just friends I'm helping
out.'
"I believe my father invited someone into his home, and they wanted
more than he was willing to give. It got out of hand... and he was
killed."
Gutierrez's killing has driven a stake through the heart of his close-
knit family.
"He was always so nice, so respectful; I feel so sorry for his
family," said neighbor Elizabeth Rodriguez.
Added Capt. Lou Campione, commander of the 26th District: "Incidents
like this remind us that we're vulnerable, and as police, we're not
immune to what can happen out there. We're praying for the family."
His daughter said she and her siblings idolized her father, who
immigrated from Puerto Rico when he was in his 20s, met their mother,
Juana, and built a full life as a chef for Penn Mutual Life Insurance
Co. The always-active Gutierrez moonlighted as a percussionist and
background vocalist in a salsa band, a job he continued to hold.
She said her and her father planned to travel to Puerto Rico this
summer together for the first time. "He was extremely active," "It was difficult to get him to sit still. We were amazed at
the energy he had."
Gutierrez moved to his corner home on Mascher Street about 15 years
ago, and largely lived alone. His wife, Juana, has Alzheimer's
disease and is in hospice care.
"We didn't like him living here," his daughter said.
"But he was set in his ways. He refused to move. I offered to have an
architect fix up his house, but he turned that down, too."
Gutierrez discovered a new passion, town watch, five years ago. He
quickly became the most vocal member of the Eagle Town Watch Group,
composed of retired folks.
"He was very friendly, very open, and very dedicated to the town-
watch group," said Dr. Alicia Mette, community specialist for the
city's Town Watch Integrated Services.
"He strived on emphasizing that people should have dignity and keep
their neighborhood clean," Mette said.
"He was also very worried that drug dealers were trying to start up
on his corners again."
Gutierrez's family said he never thought twice about telling young
dealers to abandon his corner, leading police to believe that he
could have become a target.
"Those who are regularly engaged in drug activity regularly make
assumptions as to who calls the police," Fox said.
"If sales are going on right out here, these thugs and cowards may
assume that because he lives in this corner property, that he was the
one calling the police."
Members of the police Narcotics Field Unit 2 and FBI Squad 3 served
arrest warrants a block away from Gutierrez's home last night to
collect information about his murder, said FBI spokeswoman Jerri
Williams.
"We are going to leave no stone unturned until we bring in the person
or persons responsible for this," Fox said.
Anyone with information about this crime should contact Homicide
investigators