When a father of five, Jorge Hernandez, went out to buy milk for his baby, his family had never imagined it would be the last time they’d see him. Something as simple as going to the grocery store turned into a tragedy for the family, all because a gunman decided to drive by and fire shots into the Family Dollar store at the unsuspecting shoppers. Jorge was waiting in line to pay for the milk when the armed suspect drove by the store on 83rd Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix at around 7 pm on December 11, 2020. From the silver sedan, the armed suspect shot into the store before fleeing from the scene, striking an unsuspecting Jorge in the hip as well as another woman in her 50s.
Jorge was one of the two people injured in the gunfire, and the father immediately thought of his wife and kids during his final moments. Using whatever energy he had left in him, the 38-year-old husband managed to tell his wife one last time how much he loved her, according to the Daily Mail.
‘Take care of the kids’: Dad shot at store while getting milk for baby calls wife before dying [Report] https://t.co/vly9DWTKkz via @crimeonlinenews
— Nancy Grace (@NancyGrace) December 16, 2020
His wife, Marlene Jimenez, who has been married to Jorge for about a decade, received the call while she was at work.
“I was at work and he calls me through the phone,” said Marlene told Fox 10 Phoenix. “He tells me that he needs me to go for the kids because he just got shot.”
Only an hour had passed since Jorge left to go to the store and Marlene was shocked to discover that he was talking to her with a bullet in his body. “His last words to me were that I made him the happiest man these 10 years, and that he wanted me to take care of his kids for him and that he loved me so much,” the wife said.
Following the shooting, Jorge was rushed to the hospital but he didn’t make it. The other woman who was also shot during the incident managed to survive.
Marlene, who is still reeling from the shock, revealed that Jorge had planned to take the kids out for Christmas shopping the next day on December 12. “He loved his kids so much, so it just kills me that my kids are gonna be here without their father,” said Marlene.
Her only hope now is that the police are able to find the suspect who claimed the innocent life of her husband, the love of her life. Marlene added, “If anybody can help us find the person that did this damage, I really do want my husband to have justice because it wasn’t his time to go. He still had a lot to live for.”
.'Take care of the kids, I love you': Dying father, 38, makes heartbreaking final call to his wife after being gunned down while buying milk for his baby at a Family Dollar store in Phoenix https://t.co/WP6jNADVIn via @MailOnline
— Chuck Kennedy (@chuck85258) December 16, 2020
A GoFundMe page was set up for the family to raise funds to help them through this tough time. Describing the devoted husband and father, the fundraising page said, “Jorge dedicated his life to his children and wife. He was a hard working father and husband who always did everything he could to make sure his family was good. As his family, we are all devastated with this unexpected loss. He is now in a better place and resting in peace but leaves behind a hurting family. From the bottom of our hearts we ask to keep us in your prayers and if possible please consider donating if you are able to do so.”
