Girlfriend lauds shooting victim's heroism

link Joseph Chavez

His girlfriend says an act of heroism took Joseph Chavez’s life on Sunday morning.

“He saw the fire (from a gunshot) and pushed me out of the way,” Lynette Medina, Chavez’s girlfriend, said on Monday afternoon. “I saw the flame, but I didn’t see who it was directed at. He pushed me out of the way; he was a peacemaker.

“That’s basically what happened. He stood in the way so I didn’t get hurt. He would’ve done anything for anyone.”

According to police reports, Chavez, 39, of Clovis, died after an altercation at Medina’s brother’s house on Beta Street in Clovis about 4 a.m. Sunday. Police believe he was shot in the chest, but were still awaiting an official cause of death Monday night from medical examiners.

Investigators say they want to question Brandon Cordova, 32, in connection with the slaying, but they have not named a suspect.

No arrests directly related to Chavez’s death had been made, police said Monday night.

Medina said the altercation Sunday morning “happened so fast and was over so quickly,” that she doesn’t remember much detail. She said her only focus that night was Chavez.

“Everyone’s speculating,” Medina said. “I just know that people popped out of vehicles and were running around in the yard, then there was gunfire and he pushed me out of the way, and by then, (Chavez) was on the ground bleeding to death. I was trying to help stop the bleeding, and then the ambulance was called. It was all over quickly. I’m just letting it be until they find out anything.

“I just know that he is not alive anymore, and I just want to get through this and live on because that’s what he would’ve wanted for me. I’m just trying hard not to fall down and buckle.”

Medina said she is not placing blame on anyone or holding grudges. She has “a forgiving heart,” and will wait for the truth to sort everything out, she said.

“I’m not mad or hurt about it … Yeah, I am hurt, but it’s OK,” Medina said, “I’m gonna deal with this, and for the people that did it, my heart goes out to them. They’re fixing to lose their family over it. That’s someone’s father or son or mother that’s going behind bars. Even when all this is over, I have a forgiving heart. You know, I have to; that’s what God says, we have to forgive,” Medina said.

The two were planning to get married in June. Now, Medina said, the family is raising money for Chavez’s funeral.

“We’re trying to get a little funding thing together,” Medina said. “He didn’t want to be cremated. He wanted a decent funeral to bring those together that he couldn’t when he was alive. I just want him to be buried in peace.”

Cindy Morales, Medina’s aunt, also knew Chavez, and said he was “a MacGyver type guy,” who always helped out when he could.

“He was like a nephew to me,” Morales said. “He’d had a troubled past, but he was getting himself put back together again. He was doing really, really great. He helped (Medina’s) mom run her store, and they would help do whatever she needed them to do. He always wanted to help.”

Medina said she and Chavez were getting their lives “back together” after recently becoming involved in a church and hoping to rebuild the relationship he had with his children.

“We both just got saved,” Medina said. “He’s got kids that he didn’t get to make amends with, but I’m happy I got to meet them. It’s just a hard, troubling time right now. We went from rock bottom to being new children in Christ. God just took one of his angels back.”

Chavez not only regained his spiritual sight, but his physical sight as well, Morales said. For 20 years, he hadn’t been able to see out of one eye. A recent eye surgery had corrected the vision.

“He was just so happy he could see,” Morales said. “We were all really proud of him. He started to get in our hearts and stuff.”

“He had a good heart,” Medina said. “He made an effort to keep me and my family together. That’s what he wanted. He brought us together, closer.”