Robertina Franco’s colleagues at Goldsmith Seeds offer
support
By Jessica Thy Nguyen Special to the Dispatch
Gilroy – The woman who struck and killed 5-year-old Brayan Trejo with her truck in June self-surrendered to the Gilroy Police Department. Meanwhile, her colleagues have come out in support of the woman with a “loving nature.”
A $7,500 arrest warrant was issued for Robertina Delgado Franco, 49, Aug. 10, for one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. Franco turned herself in Tuesday and then posted bail.
No court date has been set yet, Deputy District Attorney Amir Alem said. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in county jail, he said.
Franco’s employer, Joel Goldsmith, owner of Goldsmith Seeds, signed a letter to the Editor of the Gilroy Dispatch, along with 91 of Franco’s co-workers, stating their support for her.
“Robertina is a shy but warm and giving person who has worked at Goldsmith Seeds for over 10 years. We can speak to her loving nature, as she is involved in almost every project that we do to benefit others,” the letter states. “She is a fun person to have as part of our team. It is very hard for us to read about her as the faceless, almost unknown ‘woman who killed the 5-year-old boy.’ ”
The letter includes how Franco earned the respect of those who work with her and how they want her and the community to know she has their full support.
At her central Gilroy home, Franco, a small framed woman, with brown eyes and graying hair tightened into a bun, nervously fidgeted the frays on her pillow, as the support letter was translated to her in Spanish.
At first, Franco did not want to comment about the incident and the charge, but later changed her mind when she learned of the outpouring of support from her colleagues.
“This has affected me so much,” Franco said of the incident. “But [the letter] is such a big support, I feel like I can go on because of my friends. Now I realize how many people’s respects I have obtained, and respect is very important.
“I give thanks to them,” she said through tears. “This has been something so difficult, you just can’t imagine.”
The family of Brayan Trejo, wanted Franco to be arrested without bail and believed that Franco deserves to be charged with the misdemeanor.
“It’s not just an accident, because Brayan died. Maybe if he didn’t die, she should have gotten bail,” Jesus Mendoza-Trejo Sr., Brayan Trejo’s father said last week. “It wasn’t Brayan’s fault. It was her fault.”
This week’s Gilroy Dispatch poll questioned readers if Franco should serve jail time and as of 7:15pm, Thursday, 51 percent of the 255 voters thought Franco should not serve jail time.
For those who agree and don’t think Franco should serve jail time, Alem explained why the District Attorney is pursuing criminal charges. He said the law needs to be enforced, and even though it was an accident, is still considered a misdemeanor under California law and punishable up to the maximum year in county jail.
He also said that depending upon the judge, Franco could be given a fine or community service if found guilty, instead of serving jail time.
