Man killed in a crash remembered

We’re learning more about the El Paso man killed in a crash outside Fort Stockton on Sunday.

Julian Billy Granados, 40 was with his girlfriend, Erica Castro, 36, and his kids, Julian, 16, and Vanessa, 20, driving back from San Marcos on a trip to retrieve Vanessa from Texas State University. Erica’s tire blew out, causing her SUV to roll over. She also died.

ABC-7 spoke with Julian’s sister, Rosie Granados.

She said he was the oldest of four tight-knit siblings and losing him has been a shock.

Rosie last saw her brother last Wednesday during her birthday party and was expecting to see him, Erica, and the kids on Sunday for a Mother’s Day celebration.

“So here we were making food and cake, and we made my niece mashed potatoes, because she loves mashed potatoes and was homesick,” Rosie said. “So we had all these things ready, and nobody came. And we just got the phone call.”

The phone call notifying them that Julian, Erica, and the kids were in a crash and that her brother had died.

“Kind of feels like a bad dream,” Rosie told ABC-7, as she sat with her other brother and daughter outside the house Julian shared with their father. Days later, she is still trying to adjust to life without her big brother — and anticipating the moments in the future she knows she’ll miss him the most.

“We’re all die-hard (San Francisco) 49ers fans,” Rosie said, adding that Julian would host the family for game watch parties.

“It’s hard because he’s both of my children’s Godfather. She’s set to have her First (Holy) Communion on Sunday,” Rosie said, as her daughter sat nearby, clutching a picture of her uncle. “We were just talking about how we were going to take lots of pictures, and her dress,” Rosie let the sentence hang in the air as her gaze drifted.

“He was my best friend. Any time I needed anything or to talk, it was always him. … Nothing will be the same.”

Rosie said the last time she communicated with him was Saturday, and it was through a series of funny texts and pictures. Their similar senses of humor was a way they usually kept in touch.

Julian’s death comes months after Rosie’s mother-in-law was also killed in a crash.

ABC-7 reported on Maria Cano’s death.

Cano was returning from Midland after watching the Bowie High School football team in playoffs last November.

“I had to help my boyfriend plan her funeral and find the means to transport her body back to El Paso,” Rosie said. “I told him, I didn’t think I’d have to do the same thing for my brother.”

“My mind knows, but my heart doesn’t want to accept it,” she added. “My heart is like, no, he’s coming home.”

Julian Billy’s children, Julian and Vanessa, are still in an Odessa hospital with critical — but not life-threatening — injuries.

Rosie told ABC-7 they’d like to hold services for her brother by next week, so hopefully his children will be out of the hospital and able to attend.

Erica leaves behind three children of her own — boys, ages 18, 15, and 13.