In a devastating incident that unfolded last weekend, a homeless woman tragically lost her life at Beard Brook Park in Modesto. The victim, identified as 27-year-old Christine Chavez, was found dead on July 8 after a local landscaper inadvertently ran over her with a John Deere tractor while she was sleeping in overgrown vegetation.
The Modesto Police Department responded to a call from an employee of Grover Landscape Services, Inc., who had discovered the body while mowing the grass. The landscaper had unknowingly passed over the area where Chavez was sleeping, and it remains unclear if he failed to notice her amidst the field without a tent. The police investigation concluded that the incident appeared to be an accident, and no charges have been filed.
Chavez’s family described the area where she tragically lost her life as parched and overgrown with weeds, reaching just below knee level. Her father, Christopher Chavez, expressed his grief, recounting how he had personally retrieved “many pieces” of his daughter’s remains from the park. He claimed that law enforcement did not adequately collect all the evidence.
In response to the incident, Grover Landscaping Services expressed their deep sadness and extended sympathies to the victim’s friends and family. The company fully cooperated with the authorities during the investigation. They emphasized that the operator had discovered the body in a dry and overgrown area while conducting weed abatement and fire prevention services for E. & J. Gallo Winery.
It is noteworthy that Gallo Winery had recently acquired the Beard Brook Park property from the city of Modesto, as part of a land swap agreement. The city exchanged the park, which was once a homeless encampment, for a waterfront property that Gallo intended to develop into a riverwalk. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after the property transfer.
Gallo spokeswoman Krista Noonan confirmed the accident, expressing the winery’s deepest condolences to the victim’s family. The company stated that the contractor they hired was performing routine maintenance services when the accident occurred. According to Gallo’s statement, the victim was not visible in the tall, weeded area where the incident took place.
This tragic incident serves as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by the homeless population and the need for improved safety measures and awareness. Sadly, this is not the first time such an accident has occurred, as a similar fatality involving a homeless individual and a contractor crew took place in 2018.
