DENISON, Iowa (KMTV) — Neighbors of Feglys Campos-Arriba, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Denison nearly a week ago, are calling for increased mental health resources as they remember a man who loved baseball and dancing.
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"He would always wave. Always had a big grin on his face, you know," said Esteban Martinez, whose work puts him in contact with meat packing employees like Campos.
"Sometimes I would be asking him things and he would like, 'No, let's dance,'" said Brenda Hernandez.
Martinez suspects Campos was experiencing a mental health crisis after losing his legal work status and then his job. His parents and sisters are in Spain, and he has a young daughter in Cuba.
"Our community knew of his situation. Some families did take him in and were giving him a home," Martinez said.
Police say Campos was shot by an officer in Denison's Washington Park late Friday night after a physical confrontation during which the Spanish-speaking officer was injured.
Hernandez has been communicating with the Campos family, who will not be able to attend the funeral in person.
"Because I'm a mom. Obviously because his mom cannot be here ... If this happened to me, I would at least like somebody to help me out with that, too," she said.
Martinez believes better access to mental health care might have saved Campos.
"Here in our town we do have quite a few, that I'm aware of, individuals that do suffer from mental illness. I just hope it doesn't, it's not too late for them as well," Martinez said.
"I think it was more anxiety. I think people who have anxiety can get worse and worse and obviously right now for the things that are happening, a lot of people are scared to go to a doctor to go to a care provider," Hernandez said.
Neighbors are planning a celebration of life for Campos on Aug. 30.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation hopes to have a full report within the next few weeks. It will then be passed on to the Crawford County Attorney's Office and the Iowa Attorney General.
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