San Bernardino Officer Gravely Wounded In Shooting On Road To Recovery
BEAUMONT (CBSLA.com) — A San Bernardino officer who was gravely wounded in a shooting last summer is continuing to make a miraculous recovery.
On Thursday, Gabriel Garcia sat with his parents and dozens of volunteers, who are working to give his Beaumont home a facelift.
"Amazing and I feel amazing," said Garcia, who was shot once in the head while on duty Aug. 22, 2014.
Volunteers consisting of members of the San Bernardino Police Department, along with Home Depot and various community members, have donated their time and funds to modify Garcia's home.
The modifications include the installation of new irrigation, a paint job, and various other home improvements with the hope of easing some of the physical challenges of Garcia's rehabilitation.
Since being released from the hospital, Garcia has been living with his parents but has the ultimate goal of being independent again.
"It's very hard in the beginning, of course, but we've always had strong family support and of course, friends," Lydia Garcia, his mother, said.
Now retired, Garcia's father served with him in the San Bernardino Police Department, and was working the night he was shot.
"He had full right-side paralysis, which he still is fighting through," Captain Ronald Garcia (Ret.) told CBS2's Tom Wait.
He added: "Just to see him, how far he's come, in such a short time. We see it every day, a little bit every day, and sometimes I have to kind of go back a couple months and some old video and photos that I have of him to remember that he was on a gurney not very long ago."
Garcia's parents say they aren't exactly sure when he'll be fully independent but hope it happens soon.