SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A man was killed by a falling tree branch during strong winds in City Heights on Christmas Eve, leaving his family devastated during what should have been a time of celebration.
Zenaida Rodriguez, the victim's daughter-in-law, said the man who lost his life on Wednesday was Roberto Ruiz.
Rodriguez described Ruiz as a loving man and a hardworking welder who served the community for more than 20 years.
"How do you go home on Christmas Eve and tell your kids that their grandpa's dead? I still can't find the words," Rodriguez said.
The San Diego Fire Department said they received the call just after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, of a man trapped under a tree branch that fell near Marlborough and Wightman streets. The department said Ruiz was still alive when crews arrived, but went into cardiac arrest. Firefighters tried to save his life, but the tree was too heavy.
The loss took an emotional toll on Battalion Chief Craig Newell, who urged people to stay vigilant as more heavy rain was expected.
"We can be inside, be careful when you're driving, lots of distances when you're following. Don't go across any flooded roadways," Newell said.
Newell said they are conducting an investigation on the tree to determine ownership and whether the city was responsible.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory on Wednesday, stating that winds could reach 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph.
The City of San Diego said it received 120 reports of downed trees and limbs, with 90 involving fallen trees. The City also spent Christmas Eve preparing for heavy rain by blocking off trouble spots in Mission Valley due to potential flooding concerns.
Across San Diego County, the wind left thousands without power at times. Nearly 1,500 people lost power in the Ocean Beach and Midway areas, while another 1,500 outages were reported in Logan Heights and Mountain View.
SDG&E did not provide a cause for the outages, but many began as winds picked up.
The City of San Diego sent the following statement to ABC 10News about Ruiz's loss and if their maintenance crews had responded to the family's previous requests regarding the tree.
"Our thoughts are with the family, friends, neighbors and first responders impacted by this sudden loss of life. City crews have performed maintenance on this specific tree-in-question in January 2024 as a proactive measure to trim branches, and the tree presented no concerns or defects at that time. The City doesn’t have a record of any maintenance requests for this specific tree.”
