Javier SanMiguel Yanez and family. Yanez had responded to a car crash outside his home in St. Paul. Witnesses say he approached a driver to help and was shot to death.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A fundraiser created in the memory of a man shot and killed while trying to help people after a crash has surpassed $135,000.
31-year-old Javier Sanmiguel was killed after he ran out of his house to help people after a four-car crash Monday at the intersection of Edgerton Street North and Case Avenue East in St. Paul.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Police say Lionel Eaton was driving a vehicle that rear-ended a Ford Fusion, causing both cars to hit unoccupied parked vehicles on the street. After the crash, residents including Sanmiguel went to check on the drivers. The woman driving the Fusion said she wasn't hurt.
The crowd then turned their attention to Eaton, who witnesses said appeared to be curled in the fetal position in the rear of his vehicle. Witnesses say as they peered into Eaton's vehicle, he fired a shot, hitting Sanmiguel.
In the days since the husband and father of four was shot, his family has seen an outpouring of support, most notably on a GoFundMe fundraiser. In just four days, 2,000 people have donated more than $135,000. The money will go towards supporting the family who is reeling after Sanmiguel's death.
Funeral services for Sanmiguel are set for Monday at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Calling hours will be held Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at O’Halloran & Murphy Funeral Home.
Aside from being a husband and father, Sanmiguel was also an aspiring boxer and worked as a translator at hospitals helping Spanish-speaking patients get care. According to his obituary, Sanmiguel moved from Mexico to the U.S. as a young boy. In 2017, he finally was able to become a proud American citizen.