Alfredo Rodriguez, 43, was Known as 'Little Bear'

This is the second article on the  on Main Street in Milpitas.

Alfredo Rodiguez, 43, was known to his friends and family as "Little Bear."

He identified as Native American and had Apache ancestry on his father's side, said a relative.

The motor home he lived in rolled across Montague Expressway into Milpitas a week or two ago. But for the last year or year and a half, he had lived off Oakland Road with his wife and two small children, and, most recently, an infant, said a business owner whose company was located near the motor home.

Little Bear's relatives lived nearby in a mobile home park, he said, and the family would walk over to use the shower.

According to the business owner, the two became friends, and even cried together. Little Bear had told him his wife had stage 4 cancer, with a tumor on her neck. She is now going through cancer treatment at Valley Medical Center, he said.

"He knew he was going to be left as a single dad, and he didn't know how he was going to get by," the business owner said. Little Bear was unemployed.

Relatives declined to provide much information about him, citing privacy and safety reasons. However, one relative said the family moved to Milpitas to live with his wife's cousin and used the motor home as storage.

Little Bear had a criminal past, although the relatives insist it has nothing to do with his death.

He had done prison time, but "he told me he was staying away from that stupidity," said the business owner.

A search through Santa Clara County court records shows cases dating from 1989 to 2008. The latest incident was a misdemeanor in which he was arrested for possession of pepper spray. Felons by law (penal code 12403.7(a) are not allowed to have tear gas, which includes pepper spray. Milpitas Patch has requested the remaining files be retrieved from storage. 

A relative said the memorial service will take place later this week.