George Guerrero

George Guerrero, a 44-year-old man from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, was a hardworking truck driver and the beloved breadwinner for his close-knit family. He was remembered as a generous person who would give someone the shirt off his back. A few months before his death, George had realized a dream by starting his own trucking business and buying his own rig. He was proud of his work, hauling goods between Florida and Georgia. His sister, Malissa Kunz, recalled that he lived for driving trucks, and most pictures of him featured his truck and his cherished dog, Aria, a puppy he had rescued. His cousin, Blanca Clendenin, said the two were inseparable. George was also the devoted father of a 21-year-old son, Christopher.

The tragic end to George’s life came in a burst of road rage on the afternoon of Saturday, May 7, 2016. He was driving his tractor-trailer eastbound on Interstate 10 in Jacksonville, Florida, when the incident occurred just before 2 p.m. According to police and witness accounts, George moved his truck into the left lane to get through a construction zone between Commerce Parkway and Chaffee Road. This maneuver apparently angered another semi-truck driver, who began to tailgate him aggressively. When George moved back into the right lane, the other truck pulled up alongside him, appeared to bump his vehicle, and the driver opened fire. George was shot three times. His truck veered off the highway and crashed into a wooded area. He was found deceased inside the cab. His loyal dog, Aria, was with him but was not physically harmed.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office launched a homicide investigation. The suspect was described as a Black man with a beard, driving a dull orange, early to mid-2000s Century or Columbia model Freightliner cab. The truck was pulling a 53-foot white trailer and was believed to have damage to its front passenger side from where it struck George's rig. Investigators recovered the black box from George's truck, hoping it would provide information about the vehicles' speeds and the impact. The Florida Highway Patrol issued an alert for the suspect's vehicle to law enforcement agencies and commercial weigh stations along I-10 and I-95.

Despite a nationwide search and hundreds of tips from as far away as Maine and New Mexico, the shooter and his orange truck have never been found. One promising tip led deputies to a truck stop in Waldo, Florida, but it was determined not to be the correct vehicle. To aid the search, the Sheriff's Office released a stock photograph of the make, model, and color of the truck they were looking for. As of the latest reports, no arrests have been made, and the case remains unsolved.

George’s family was left heartbroken by his sudden and violent death. His son, Christopher, remembered his father’s encouragement, saying, "He always told us he wanted us to make it." His sister, Dina Guerrero, called the killer a coward. "How would he like it if he took one of his family members?" she asked in an interview. "I hope they find him and may he suffer for taking my brother." His cousin Blanca pleaded with the shooter to take responsibility for killing "a father, a brother and uncle, a good man that was very well-loved." The family’s grief was especially heavy, as they had lost five other relatives in the preceding year.

In the aftermath, a GoFundMe campaign was started to help the family bring George’s body home to New Jersey for a funeral and burial at Alpine Cemetery in Perth Amboy. His dog, Aria, was taken to Animal Care and Protective Services in Jacksonville before being reunited with George's family a few days later. His cousin drove her to New Jersey to live with Christopher, a bittersweet reunion that brought a small piece of George back to his son. His family took comfort in knowing he wasn't alone in his final moments. "He was with his best friend," his cousin said.

The investigation into George Guerrero's murder is ongoing as of May 2016. A reward of up to $3,000 is offered by Crime Stoppers for any information that leads to an arrest. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office urges anyone with information to call them at 904-630-0500 or to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-866-845-TIPS.