A Lake Murray family is asking for the public's help to find a hit-and-run driver who they say struck their father and left him for dead.
Ronald Barrios, 51, was found lying in a gutter just two days after Thanksgiving with head injuries that left him brain dead.
Police say Barrios, a father of four, had been out walking just after 6 a.m. when he hit near the intersection of Jackson and Blue Lake drives on Saturday.
The Barrios family told NBC 7, Barrios remains on life support so that he could perform a final act of kindness--donating his organs so that others might live.
His family says, he was often introduced himself as "El Ronald," or, The Ronald.
“The person that keeps us happy and keeps us laughing,” his daughter, Ashley Barrios said.
“He taught that family is always first and he was like glue to our family,” his son Ronald Barrios told NBC 7.
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Barrios was found lying in a gutter with traumatic brain injuries, broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
“It's crazy. It's something you see on the news or read online and you wouldn't expect that to happen to you,” Martha Soto, Barrios' neice said.
With no identification on him, Barrios was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital and admitted as John Doe.
“I just made phone calls. No one knew anything about him and hadn't heard from him,” his daughter said.
After nine hours and several calls to San Diego hospitals, the family said they found Barrios.
“As soon as they gave us the description of John Doe from earlier that day, we knew,” Soto said.
The family is still waiting for police to make an arrest of the person who had been behind the wheel of the vehicle that struck Barrios.
At this time, police do not have an accurate description of the vehicle involved, nor the driver. Investigators estimate Barrios was found by a passerby, more than a half hour after the suspect fled the scene.
The family is raising money for funeral costs. If you would like to donate, click here.
