Homeless man who slipped into coma after he was assaulted cries during reunion with pet dog moments before dying
ARCADIA, FLORIDA: A homeless man in Florida, physically assaulted on a park bench earlier this month had an emotional reunion with his pet dog at hospice care before succumbing to his injuries.
Locals agreed that the deceased Juan Diego Sebastian was a peaceful man who had never bothered anyone. So when the community found out that the man had been attacked by an unknown assailant, many of them rallied by his side to make sure he made a full recovery. The assailant, however, is still on the run.
“He never regained consciousness,” said Tammy Ramos, a local, to WINK news. “But still he, I kind of thought he was there because I would talk to him and he would squeeze my hand and his blood pressure would shoot up,” he added.
Ramos, who had known the victim for the last 10 years, routinely visited the hospital for two weeks after the attack took place. “I would give him food and money,” Ramos said, “and then on the holidays, we would cook for him.”
In his last moments, Sebastian's pet dog Cheeto, with whom he went on walks every day, was by his side at the hospice care.
Ramos said that although Sebastian never really came around to gaining consciousness, tears welled up in his eyes as he touched his pet.
“They brought the dog up to the hospice. And we laid him on the bed,” Ramos said. “And at this point, Juan was pretty bad. And we put Juan’s hand on Cheeto and then Cheeto laid his head on his hand and it was the weirdest thing because tears started coming out of Juan’s eyes.”
According to a police report, Sebastian used to collect cans and then sell them to buy food for his dog and himself.
Sebastian was attacked on the bench where he spent his nights. He just had under $16 with him when he was found beaten.
Ramos said that it was important that people who carried out the assault be apprehended fast. “If they’re not caught, it will happen again,” Ramos said. “Because the homeless community, the ones that I deal with, they’re mostly senior citizens and they’re vulnerable and it will happen again.”
Cheeto was later adopted by a woman who wished to remain unidentified.