The family of an East Bay football coach is rallying together to support him after he was shot while trying to break up a fight in front of Vallejo High School.
Joseph Pastrana is the father of a toddler with a daughter on the way and his wife and his young son watched the shooting in real time.
“All my brother was trying to do is stop them,” said Jocilee Pastrana, about her big brother. "It’s not right. My worst fear was that Joe wasn’t going to make it. Not being able to hold him again tell him I love him, to see him smile.”
Jocilee said her brother’s smile is how people know him.
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Joseph, better known as Coach Joe, she said, is a guiding light in the Vallejo community and last Tuesday, she said he almost lost his life helping others.
“My brother was breaking up a fight, he’s site safety for Vallejo High,” said Jocilee. “He was trying to get the kids to stop. Someone jumped into a car, shots were fired and my brother got hit.”
Joseph’s wife was there because she is a baseball coach. Their 2-year-old just happened to be there wondering out loud why his father was on the ground bleeding.
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Police say at least three men were seen leaving in a dark color sedan and detectives say they are looking into some strong leads.
“It’s not right for parents to drop off their kids at school not knowing what’s going to happen. It’s not right for staff to not feel protected,” said Jocilee. “We need to do something, we need change, our community needs to feel safe, we need to feel safe again.”
