Crestline grandmother beaten with baseball bat after helping stranger

A Crestline grandmother was nearly beaten to death with a metal baseball bat after she helped a stranger who claimed he had just been robbed.

Described as a kind-hearted woman who always tried to help others, Therese Garcia welcomed Erik Eduardo Navarro, 26, into her home after he told the 71-year-old grandmother that someone had stolen all of his belongings while he was camping and that he had an upcoming job interview at a nearby hardware store. 

Family members said Garcia cooked for him every night and believed that he had just fallen on hard times and needed help. Her opinion of Navarro changed after several days when he became demanding and slowly took over her home. 

"He was there a total of six days, and he started, kind of making demands," daughter Abbie Garcia said. "He wasn't really helping with any of the things that he agreed to in the beginning."

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said Garcia asked Navarro to leave her home. Garcia's family said Navarro waited until she was asleep at night before ruthlessly beating her with a metal baseball bat. 

"That night, when she was sleeping on the couch, he just started beating her with a metal baseball bat," Abbie Garcia said.

Relatives said Navarro beat Garcia for hours, taking breaks when she lost consciousness and hit her every time she woke up. 

"He just kept beating her until he finally thought she was dead," Abbie Garcia said. 

Garcia's family said he ran off with her phone, credit cards, keys and e-bike before deputies arrived. 

After neighbors asked for a welfare check, deputies found Garcia on Aug. 25 with significant injuries to her hands and face, to the point where she could not clearly see. Her family believes Garcia would have bled to death if her neighbors hadn't asked for help.

Garcia has been in the hospital ever since. Her family said she vomited blood for days and had multiple broken bones in her arm, hand and face. Doctors treated her for a traumatic brain injury, brain bleed and multiple deep lacerations that required extensive stitches.

While still in excruciating pain, Garcia's condition has stabilized over the past week, but her family still doesn't know how long it will take for her to recover. The 71-year-old may need facial surgery once her swelling subsides. 

Without health insurance, Garcia's family set up a GoFundMe to help pay the already mounting hospital bills, the cost of the possible surgery and any follow-up care.

Deputies are still searching for Navarro. Abbie Garcia said her family is terrified that Navarro will hurt someone else. 

"I truly believe he will kill somebody if he's not caught," she said. 

San Bernardino County investigators urged anyone with information about the case or Navarro's whereabouts to call the Twin Peak Station at (909) 336-0660. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call or text "REPORT" to We-Tip at (844) 909-3006. 

Tips can also be submitted to deputies through the department's website: https://mobile.catapultems.com/sbcsd/Sites.