Tragedy struck Georgia last month when State Trooper Jimmy Cenescar was killed pursuing a traffic violator on Interstate 85. The dedication he showed to his duty will be honored in memorial services spanning two days, as announced by Georgia State Patrol.
Cenescar, who joined Georgia Department of Public Safety in January 2023, and was earlier a part of the Atlanta Police Department for three years, displayed an unwavering commitment to law enforcement. His endeavours included a daring rescue in 2021 where he saved a driver who had plunged off a bridge. Fox 5 Atlanta reports, that in reflecting on the incident, Cenescar had spoken of the urgency he felt and his rapid response. "I knew I had to take action quickly to get that driver out of the vehicle because I knew there were train tracks," Cenescar said.
According to WSBTV, visitation and memorial service arrangements will be held back-to-back. Cenescar's family will receive guests on Thursday at Crowell Brothers Funeral Home from 4:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. The funeral will take place at 11 a.m. at Mount Paran Church the following day, among family, friends, and a community.
The circumstances surrounding Cenescar's death led to an arrest. Following a high-speed chase that resulted in the tragic accident, Gerson Ayala Rodriguez was apprehended, facing multiple charges including felony murder and first-degree homicide. Amid this dark time, deceptive opportunists attempted to exploit the situation by creating a fraudulent fundraiser on social media. The Georgia Department of Public Safety was swift to condemn and report the fake page to Facebook, as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also expressed his condolences, stating "I would urge all Georgians to keep this family and his fiancee in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to deal with this horrific loss on behalf of our state."
