Family Demands Justice After Violent Assault
A family from the Valley is calling for justice following what they describe as a brutal and senseless attack on their son.
Law enforcement officials are searching for the individual responsible for assaulting 37-year-old Geoff Bernardi. The incident occurred near the Dry Creek canal bank behind Pacific Grove apartments in Clovis around 1 a.m. on Thursday.
Mother Recounts Terrifying Details
Geoff's mother, Erin Adams, shared the frightening circumstances of the assault. "I was in bed on Wednesday night, and at 12:57 phone rang, and it was Geoff's girlfriend. They had been talking and he went outside to smoke and he can't smoke outside of the apartment conflict, so he walked to the canal bank," Adams stated. "Somebody asked him if he would give him a cigarette, and he said, 'Sure, buddy.' And they hit him over the head, he went to the ground, he yelled to his girlfriend, 'run!' And then the person continued to beat him until he was unrecognizable."
Bernardi serves as a career technical education teacher and collaborates with theater students on high school productions within the Clovis Unified School District.
According to Adams, he has been removed from life-support, and preparations are underway for organ donation.
Investigation Underway
Detectives are currently working to identify the weapon used in the assault and establish a potential motive.
Clovis police are examining surveillance footage from the vicinity for any leads.
