Aunt of trucker, 51, who posted tragic message a day before dying of coronavirus also dies of COVID

The aunt of a California truck driver, who penned a tragic last Facebook post just a day before dying from the coronavirus, has also passed away from COVID-19. 

Tommy Macias, 51, who lived in Los Angeles, said he caught the killer virus at a party in early June as coronavirus restrictions in the state were eased.

Macias died just a month later after admitting in his post that he ‘f**ked up’ by not wearing a mask and failing to keep a distance from people and saying he felt guilty for putting his family at risk.

And on Sunday morning, his aunt, Jessie Prieto, of Avondale, Arizona, passed away at the age of 76, according to AZ Family. 

Shortly after her nephew’s death, Prieto spoke with the news outlet and said: ‘I was in hysteria. I couldn’t control myself because it couldn’t happen to him.

At the time, Prieto also encouraged others to wear a mask and physically distance just like her nephew did in his last message. 

According to AZ Family, Prieto’s son, Jerry, said that his mom started having symptoms just days after the interview. 

He said they took her to a local hospital where she received an oxygen tank before being released back home.  

Jerry said her condition then started to worsen and they rushed her back to the hospital, where she died on Sunday. 

He recalled how he thanked his mother for everything that she did for him and told her ‘not to worry about anything’.

Jerry said he told her that he’s going to ‘make her very proud’ and that ‘I love her’.

‘All she could do was nod her head,’ her grieving son told the news outlet.  

He said he’s not sure how his mother caught the virus, adding that she took every precaution, which included wearing a mask. 

Jerry said that 10 of his family members eventually tested positive for the virus, including himself. 

‘I’m going to miss her a lot. She’s my best friend,’ Jerry said, before encouraging others to wear a mask. 

Prieto died more than two months after her nephew passed away. 

And just a day before he died, he penned a Facebook post urging people to wear a mask and socially distance. 

Macias penned his last Facebook post on June 20, writing: ‘Some of you know, but most don’t. I f***ed up and went out a couple of weeks ago and I contracted the coronavirus.

‘Monday I tested for it and it was confirmed on Thursday. Because of my stupidity I put my mom and sisters and my family in jeopardy. This has been a very painful experience.

‘This is no joke. If you have to go our wear a mask and practice social distancing. Don’t be a f***ing idiot like me.

‘Thank you to all my friends who have brought me food, and to everyone who has been there for me.

‘Hopefully with God’s help I’ll be able to survive this. I love you all.’

Macias was rushed to hospital the following day around 11am after struggling to breathe. A final photo in the hospital shows him being given oxygen with a mask.

Some time between 6pm and 7pm doctors put him on an invasive ventilator. Two hours later he died. 

Gustavo Lopez, his brother-in-law, told NBC that from March until early June, Macias was following guidelines and only going out when necessary.

However, in early June Macias traveled 70 miles to Lake Elsinore to attend a party with a large group of others.

Included in the crowd was a friend, who Lopez did not name, who had tested positive for coronavirus and knew about the diagnosis.

But because he did not have symptoms, the person thought he could not infect other people.

Lopez said he next saw Macias on June 11, shortly after the party, when he ‘didn’t look right’ and appeared to be very sweaty.

It was around that time that Macias informed people at the party of his diagnosis, prompting others to get tested.

Macias took a test on June 16, which came back positive on June 18.

More than a dozen people who also attended the party have since come back positive for the virus.   

Lopez said: ‘I think what he wanted people to know, this is a real thing. It’s serious, and it kills people.’

Macias, who was affectionately known as ‘Big Sexy’, did not marry and did not have children. His friends and family remembered him as a big-hearted man who was always willing to help others.

He is survived by his mother, two sisters, four nieces and two great-nieces.

California is currently one of the worst-hit states with coronavirus in the US. 

Due to the spike in cases beginning in June, California Gov Gavin Newsom was forced to roll back reopening plans.

The US now has more than 5.7 million coronavirus cases and at least 176,000 deaths, the most of any country in the world.