Insets: Ismael Loya. Background: The area in Phoenix, Ariz., where Ismael Loya was found after being beaten on his walk home (AZ Family).
An Arizona father, accustomed to being picked up by his wife after work, faced a devastating assault on a night she was unable to collect him due to car issues, according to his family.
Sophia Pinedo, Ismael Loya’s wife, shared with local news station KTVK that her husband has suffered severe brain damage. “More than half of his brain is unresponsive,” she explained.
Overcome with emotion, Pinedo said, “Doctors suggest letting him go to prevent further suffering, but I can’t bring myself to do it. He’s fought so hard already; I hope a little more time might help.”
On February 11, Loya was walking home in Phoenix when he was brutally attacked near 27th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. He had left work around 8 p.m., prompting Pinedo to report him missing when he didn’t return home.
“He just never came back,” Pinedo told KTVK.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident but have not yet identified any suspects.
“You hurt a man who loves his family and didn’t deserve it,” Pinedo said. “If anyone is out there and saw anything, you don’t have to say your name, but help us find out who is responsible for what happened to him.”
Loya’s condition was not known Thursday, but Pinedo told KTVK she will hold on as long as she can to see if he can somehow recover from his injuries. The couple has been together for 13 years.
“I’ve seen [miracles] happen,” Pinedo said. “Anything is possible, and … he could come back to us.”
Authorities have asked anyone with information about what happened to Loya to contact the Phoenix Police Department.
