A fund toward the repairs of a Good Samaritan’s stripped car or possibly for the replacement of his older 1996 Nissan Sentra has been launched by his Manteca employer.

Victor Fiore of Center Appliance said he and his family members are putting up $500 to start the fund in response to several Manteca residents who have already offered to donate toward getting Jesse Lemos back on the road.

Fiore said his intent is to also match any donations from the public up to $500 that would go toward a vehicle.  Donations can be made at Center Appliance at 2001 North Main Street, Manteca.

The Lemos vehicle was carjacked at 6:40 last Saturday night when traffic was halted in the southbound lanes of Highway 99 as police were chasing a burglary suspect across the freeway.

When a woman motorcyclist from Ceres was thrown to the pavement and mortally injured, Lemos went to her aid.  The fleeing suspect jumped into his vehicle and drove south on Highway 99 from Yosemite Avenue.

A police pursuit followed at speeds of up to 95 miles an hour and Lemos’ car was abandoned in Delhi.  The chase went through three counties and returned north to Modesto where the man was captured in a foot pursuit near K Street on Highway 99.

The Manteca appliance delivery man was called later by a towing company that said they had his stripped vehicle on the premises, saying it would cost $285 to get it out of their tow yard in Livingston.  It had been towed from the side of the road in Delhi with a smashed windshield, missing bumpers and missing rearview mirrors.

Lemos and his wife in their mid-20s don’t have the money to buy another car or to have the stripped one fixed to drive to work from where they are staying at  his mother’s home in Winton.  He and his wife have an infant son and that was reportedly their only means of transportation.

Lemos was quoted as saying he has no regrets in going to the woman’s aid and that he would do it again.