A San Diego man who died on Christmas Eve as intense weather swept through Southern California has been identified as Roberto Luis, a 61-year-old grandfather.
Luis was killed on Wednesday, Dec. 24, when a large tree branch broke off and fell on him near his home, KCRG reported, citing San Diego Fire-Rescue.
“The first tree branch fell. It struck him, knocking him unconscious,” Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Craig Newell told the outlet.
“Our crews arrived and found him. He had gone into cardiac arrest,” he continued. “They did everything they could. Unfortunately, the tree was too heavy.”
Luis’ daughter-in-law, who was not identified, described him to KCRG as a devoted, generous man who was “always helping his family.” She said the family is struggling to process the sudden loss.
“How do you go home on Christmas Eve and tell your kids that their grandpa is dead?,” she told the outlet. “I still can’t find the words.”
She also alleged the family had warned the city about the tree’s safety for years, saying they had raised concerns “for more than five years, and nothing was ever done.” She urged officials to take preventative steps to reduce the risk of similar incidents.
“If he was here, he would want people to know that this is not okay,” she said. “… That could have been his niece, that could have been his granddaughter, that could have been anybody else’s relative.”
In a statement, the city said maintenance on the tree was performed in January 2024 and that workers found no issues at the time. The city added that it did not have “a record of any maintenance requests for this specific tree.”
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends, neighbors and first responders impacted by this sudden loss of life,” the city said.
San Diego Fire-Rescue did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.
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This comes amid severe weather conditions in California. On Wednesday, Dec. 24, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in L.A. County and other Southern California counties, noting that the extreme weather could bring flooding and landslide risks.
At least one other person also died in a weather-related incident, according to ABC 10 and CNN. A motorist crashed and died on a roadway in Sacramento County on Wednesday, Dec. 24, the outlet reported, citing the California State Highway Patrol.
First responders also carried out multiple rescues during the storm, including aiding a woman who was swept into the San Jose Creek on Dec. 24. A man trapped in a small drainage tunnel on the Los Angeles River was also rescued earlier that day, per KESQ-TV.
