BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The family of a man who was dragged 500 feet by a vehicle in Cameron Park is asking for the community’s help in his recovery.
Jesus Marroquin, 31, is currently hospitalized in San Antonio after being dragged by a vehicle on Christmas morning.
ValleyCentral spoke with Juan Manuel Marroquin, Jesus’s uncle, who started a GoFundMe page titled “Help Jesus Reconstruct His Body Back.“
Juan Manuel said that Jesus was passing by a group that was partying and drinking after Christmas Eve 2022 when they started arguing with him. He said Jesus began running to Juan Manuel’s mother’s house when he was struck and dragged by a vehicle.
Jesus was left with severe injuries.
“All of his ears disappeared, all of his cheeks disappeared, all of the flesh on his hand, the arm is just the bone…” Juan Manuel said. “The rest of his body is all burned up from the pavement.”
Jesus also suffered nine broken ribs, his uncle said.
According to Juan Manuel, Jesus remained conscious as he was dragged.
“He told me he was yelling for help, and yelling at them to please stop the truck,” Juan Manuel said. “They never did. They didn’t care. They treated him as a dog.”
Jesus remains hospitalized in San Antonio, where he has undergone several surgeries, Juan Manuel said. He is expected to remain in San Antonio for another six weeks.
According to a news release from the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, authorities responded to the 2600 block of Avenida Carlos in Cameron Park in reference to a hit-and-run.
The release stated that the victim was “dragged approximately 500 feet on the roadway after being struck by [Arturo] Esparza Aguilar and his motor vehicle.”
Deputies were able to obtain an arrest warrant for 50-year-old Arturo Esparza Aguilar in connection to the assault. Esparza Aguilar was arrested on Dec. 29 on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at $75,000, records show.
Second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon carries a mandatory 2-year sentence, with a possibility of up to 20 years in prison. However, Juan Manuel believes Esparza Aguilar’s charges should be changed to attempted murder.
“He caused severe injuries to my nephew,” Juan Manuel said. “He won’t be back to normal for the rest of his life. He probably won’t be able to hug his kids anymore, and maybe even work.”
Juan said the funds raised for Jesus will go toward housing that will facilitate Jesus’s injuries. As of Saturday, the GoFundMe page has raised $2,356.
