Family asks the public to help find deadly hit and run suspect

PHOENIX - Jay Garcia, a pastor, says he took Barbara Kurdinat in about three years ago. She had no family, but Garcia says she almost instantly became a part of his family. Now they just want the person who took off -- leaving Barbara for dead to come forward.

"We miss her a lot.. at first she was a friend and then she became family. It hurts."

The wheelchair now sits in front of the Garcia home. The place Barbara, a double amputee, was living for the past three years. On September 27, she was hit and killed by a truck in a parking lot near 43rd Avenue and Glendale.

"We need to find this guy. This person cannot get away with this. She was 79, but full of life and she didn't deserve to go out like this."

Mr. Garcia says the truck dragged Barbara more than 50 feet, then took off from the scene.

"Accidents happen. You stop. You deal with it. It's an accident. But to drag her and take off. That's a person that has no heart."

Leaving a void in their hearts of a person who became family.

"She has tattoos. She goes by Wonder Woman. Full of life, energy.. she did not let that hold her back. Every adventure was full of life."

Hoping that someone will come forward and turn the person who did this in.

"What kind of person.. who does this? This person has to have a mom, son, possibly a wife. How would he feel if this was her mom and just take off? Accidents happen."

"They might not even know what happened. They probably think she's in the hospital and tomorrow she's getting out. She died. You killed her."

The Garcia family has set up a GoFundMe page for Barbara: http://gf.me/u/vpur8a

If you have any information on who that driver might be, you're asked to contact the Phoenix Police Department: 602-262-6151.