Stater Bros. Gives $10K To Help San Bernardino Officer Shot In Head Get Back On His Feet

SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA.com) — As San Bernardino Officer Gabriel Garcia recovers after taking a bullet to the head, members of the community are throwing their support behind him and his family.

Some of that support came in the form of a $10,000 check from Stater Bros. Corporate Office in San Bernardino, to help support Garcia and his family Wednesday.

"I'm so proud of you and all the officers that serve and the deputies," Stater Bros. CEO Jack Brown said, as he presented the check to Garcia's father, San Bernardino Capt. Ron Garcia.

Garcia was shot and critically wounded on Aug. 22 when he and his partner approached a group of people outside a home in the 1900 block of Garner Avenue. He was rushed to the hospital with a brain injury and placed in a medically-induced coma, regaining consciousness on Sept. 4.

Garcia's mother, Lydia, said she was overcome with tears of joy when she heard her son speak his first words after the shooting.

"We know our son is a fighter and we're very grateful that he has that in him and he's fighting every day," she said.

Capt. Garcia, who was the chief on call the night his son was shot, knew the situation was grave when the news came down about the shooting. The entire family is now focused on his recovery.

"We have peaks and valleys. I would say we're in a plateau phase right now," Capt. Garcia said. "Peaks and valleys – good days, tough days."

The Garcia family says he has not yet been able to get out of his hospital bed yet, but hope he will be able to soon.