Matt Gutman and Christina Ng
ABC News
July 24, 2013
The family rescued by George Zimmerman when they were trapped in an overturned SUV canceled a scheduled news conference today and is pleading for privacy.
Zimmerman was one of two men who came to the aid of Dana and Mark Gerstle and their two children, who were trapped inside a blue Ford Explorer SUV that had rolled over after traveling off the highway in Sanford, Fla., about 5:45 p.m. Thursday, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The Gerstles were expected to hold a press conference today at the office of Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara, but cancelled a few hours before it was supposed to take place.
“They have expressed to us that they are not comfortable doing media interviews at this time and they continue to ask for privacy,” the Seminole City Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Zimmerman’s lawyer, Mark O’Mara, said the family had asked to speak, but then got concerned about the anger surrounding the controversial verdict.
“The family called because they wanted to address the media. I knew that if we did it in an organized way, it would help them get back to a normal life.. But they called today and said they were more worried about blow back from saying anything that would be favorable to George, and decided they did not want to do any media,” O’Mara said.
The lawyer said that when he spoke to the Gerstles “their voices were trembling” and that they feared saying anything positive about Zimmerman “would be toxic.”