A family is grappling following the death of a man who they said was the primary caregiver for his elderly mother. 52-year-old Alan Belcher was hit and killed by a driver in late September while walking to the grocery store in Mesquite off Town East Boulevard near Motley Drive.
Sisters Debby Clay and Kathy Richards are both still processing the reality that their younger brother is gone.
Police arrested 18-year-old Jose Martinez and charged him with intoxication manslaughter.
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“I just have learned to take it one day at a time. To do the next right thing,” said Clay.
Just memories are left, and pieces of Alan as reminders of who he was and what made him so special. The items they found inside his room are precious now – his bible, photos with his mother, and his Whataburger collection.
“He loved his chocolate chip cookies, sweet tea and taquitos from Whataburger,” Clay said.
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Both sisters said people from throughout the community have reached out letting them know their brother touched many lives. It wasn’t a surprise to them, though, as Debby recalled Alan’s kindness, and giving him a hug for the last time.
“That was one of his favorite things to do was to hug people,” she said. “And he would hug you tight. He would hug you tight and for as long as you would let him.”
They’re still trying to make sense of it all, but they are comforted in knowing they can still lean on each other. They said it’s exactly how Alan would want it to be.
“He really loved his church family. He loved the Lord, and he was committed to taking care of my mother,” said Clay.
Police say Martinez is out of jail on a $20,000 bond.
