Goodyear police identify construction worker who died after being trapped in a hole while working

The Goodyear Police Department identified the deceased 44-year-old construction worker became trapped when dirt fell into a hole while working.

BY JEFF VINTON

Jul 28, 2025, 5:26 PM Updated: Jul 29, 2025, 12:47 pm

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(Facebook Photo/Goodyear Police Department)

PHOENIX — The Goodyear Police Department recently identified the construction worker who died while working on Monday as 44-year-old Ronald Andrew Baquero Jr.

Baquero died after he was trapped in a hole that was six feet deep, according to police. Police responded around 1:10 p.m. after receiving 911 calls reporting that Baquero was trapped under a pile of dirt at a construction site near Citrus and Lower Buckeye roads.

Goodyear firefighters arrived at the site within six minutes and found other workers using heavy equipment to try and dig Baquero out. Firefighters and police officers joined the effort to free Baquero, working alongside the crew to try and save him.

Why did the rescue effort become a body recovery?

As dirt was removed from the six-foot-deep hole where Baquero was trapped, more dirt continued to fall inside, making the rescue difficult, police said.

After about 30 minutes, the rescue was called off and a body recovery began.

According to the department, the presence of nearby utility lines — including gas, water, and power — was why the rescue changed to a recovery.

The recovery operation continued into the early morning hours of Tuesday. Sgt. Mayra Reeson with the Goodyear Police Department said an investigation into the incident is still underway.

“We join the Goodyear Fire Department in extending our sincere condolences to the worker’s loved ones during this tragic time,” Reeson said in a Tuesday update.

No further details were made available.