Robert Saucedo Obituary, Death;- An employee for a Texas city, who was also a father to a 5-year-old, died from an injury while doing repair work earlier this week, authorities and the victim’s loved ones said. The City of Sweetwater announced the death of Robert Saucedo, 23, in a press release.
Saucedo was dispatched to the 1000 block of East 13th Street following a report of a water leak on Tuesday evening, July 29, the city said, adding that he sustained a fatal injury while repairing the problem. In an interview with ABC affiliate KTXS, Josie Jennings, Saucedo’s mother-in-law, said the incident involved a saw.
“He just looked and he knew something was wrong. He was trying to talk. He couldn’t. So they pulled him out and one of them just gave him the shirt off his back and just him,” Jennings told the outlet, based on what Saucedo’s coworkers, who tried to save his life, recalled. The city said Saucedo was taken to Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“We are heartbroken by this devastating loss,” said Bryan Sheridan, Sweetwater’s interim city manager, in a press statement. “Robert was a valued member of the City of Sweetwater team, and we are committed to supporting his family and colleagues as we navigate this difficult loss together.”
Jennings told KTXS that she had known Saucedo since he was 12, adding that he was her daughter’s first love when they were young. “They separated as they got older, and they rekindled about a year ago,” Jennings said. The City of Sweetwater said that Saucedo joined its water distribution department in October of last year.
“He was actively working toward obtaining his D license as part of his commitment to further his education and career in the water industry,” the news release stated. The mother-in-law also said that Saucedo loved his job, despite the work not including hazard pay. “He always was excited about overtime, excited about just going on call. It just was always the first one to jump to say, ‘Yes, he’ll do it,’ “ Jennings said, per KTXS.
Saucedo leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter, according to Jennings. “Just a loving, funny, hardworking person, and just everybody keep his memory alive for his daughter’s sake,” she says of Saucedo.
In its news release, the city didn’t state the circumstances that led to Saucedo’s fatal injury. PEOPLE contacted the City of Sweetwater for additional information on Friday, Aug. 1.
“The City of Sweetwater extends its deepest sympathies to the Saucedo family during this time. Counseling and support services will be made available to all City employees impacted by this tragic loss,” the statement concluded.
