Jesus Cruz-Jimenez

Mourning Our Losses deplores the brutal treatment of Jesus "Chuy'' Cruz-Jimenez by police, treatment which may have contributed to his untimely death shortly after his arrival at the Salt Lake County Jail. All too often, family or friends who call for help for a loved one in crisis witness the punitive, violent responses of the police system instead. In a pandemic, when the risks of mental health crisis and substance abuse are dramatically heightened, it is more apparent than ever that using police and incarceration to address deeply-rooted social problems is gravely misguided.  

We all know selfless people, and we are all made better because of them. Jesus Cruz-Jimenez was one of those people. As his long-time partner Glenda Smart told Fox 13 News, Jesus—also known as Chuy— “was the type of person that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it or he would give you his last penny if he knew it would help you.”

Jesus worked in construction for most of his life. Outside of his job, Jesus loved watching soccer and relished the time he spent as a father figure to Glenda’s five children. He was also Glenda’s “other half,” and partner of 12 years. And despite being separated from most of his family in Mexico, Jesus left his mark on loved ones in both Mexico and the United States.

Jesus with long-time partner Glenda, courtesy of Fox 13 Salt Lake City.

Jesus Cruz-Jimenez passed away on October 5th, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was just 43 years old. Jesus was a victim of the brutality and misconduct by Salt Lake City and West Valley Police, who tasered Jesus even as he pleaded that he could not breathe. Glenda conveyed her immense frustration with the police’s treatment of Jesus, saying: “We need justice for him and we need the truth to come out to know exactly what happened to him.”Activists at Utah Against Police Brutality echoed her demands for an investigation, decrying the police’s treatment of Jesus, who was “unarmed and experiencing a health crisis.” “[Jesus] needed help,” Glenda said; tragically, he was met with brutality instead.

Jesus was a father, partner, and son, and he will be dearly missed by his family and friends. May he rest in peace and may his family find truth and justice. Reflecting on his life and memory, Glenda imagined what she’d say to him if he were still alive. “Just that I love him and I miss him and I wish he was here.

Glenda Smart’s tribute to Jesus, taken from her GoFundMe page.

We should all hope to live as selflessly as Jesus, and we should all demand justice for his family. We mourn his loss.

This memorial was written by MOL team member Laura Haight with information from reporting by Brian Schnee of Fox 13 Salt Lake City , Pat Reavy of Deseret News, a Facebook post published by Utah Against Police Brutality, and the GoFundMe page organized by Glenda Smart. 

Jesus’s loved ones hope to send him home to Mexico where they may bury him next to his mom, so if you can—please donate to and share this GoFundMe.