Lemon Grove infant and grandfather killed in tree fall

LEMON GROVE, Calif. (KGTV) – A Lemon Grove family is suffering an unimaginable tragedy after their young son and his grandfather were killed during a trip to New Jersey.

“Micah just loved being in people’s arms. He was the happiest baby, so giggly,” Ben Canales said.

Six-month-old Micah Gasin and parents Alex and Amber had already been in Verona, New Jersey, for two weeks when the couple headed to a Mets night game two Mondays ago, leaving Micah at his grandparents’ house.

“Micah was supposed to eat his cucumbers, drink his last bottle and go to bed that night, and Grandpa wanted to show him cucumbers in the garden…they spent some time together in the hammock,” said Canales, Micah’s godfather.

Canales said that’s when tragedy struck in the form of a falling tree in the backyard. According to police, the uprooted tree landed on the two of them, killing Micah and his 61-year-old grandfather Boris.

It’s unclear if weather played a role, but three storms moved through the city that night.

Micah’s parents received a call from first responders, ran back to the house and encountered a shocking reality.

“Simple devastation and complete shock at the same time,” Canales said.

Hours later, Canales received a call from Amber.

“She was holding a pacifier and telling me she really wanted her little boy back,” Canales said.

More than a week later, the couple, now back in Lemon Grove, are mourning the loss of their only child.

“You try to understand it… just a big why. “Why, how does this happen?” Canales said. “These are two parents who have their whole lives ahead of them with their little boy… In an instant it was taken away… It will be a lifelong memory of Micah. We will never forget Micha.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help the family with funeral and other costs.

According to the National Weather Service, which does not keep statistics on this matter