Reisterstown residents say quiet community where teen was murdered has changed

BALTIMORE - Residents in a Reisterstown neighborhood tell WJZ they live in a generally quiet community, but it has changed in recent years. 

A 17-year-old, identified as Nester Nunez, was shot multiple times and died Sunday morning on Hammershire Road.

Investigators are still searching for a suspect and have not released a description or possible motive for the incident. 

Connie Williams, who has lived on Hammershire Road for 18 years, said the shooting alarmed her.   

"People are sad. They're kind of sickened," Williams said. "You have people that have been here long term that are saying this neighborhood is changing too quick and Baltimore City's move into Baltimore County. You have people that are just saying I'm afraid to go out."

The only sounds heard in the neighborhood on Monday were the hum of lawnmowers as neighbors got back to normal.

"It's an unfortunate situation to have happen in a neighborhood that's particularly safe," said a neighbor, who preferred to remain anonymous. "I was devastated because I just can't conceptualize a person taking somebody's life out on the street in the middle of the night in our neighborhood."

Crime is becoming more normal for this neighborhood off Reisterstown Road, Williams told WJZ.

She said when she moved to the neighborhood nearly two decades ago, the neighbors were the original homeowners, and they were older. Now, she says younger people are moving into the area.

"I think, at some point, I'm going to be ready to move from this neighborhood," Williams said. "I think it's changing way too quickly. For me, I'm not sure why the dynamics are changing so quickly."

Another neighbor told WJZ she heard gunshots around 1 a.m. Sunday morning and called the police.

She said she woke up at 7 a.m. to an officer at her door asking for more details about what she heard.

"I made the call and this child could have been taken to the hospital," the neighbor said. "Somebody needed to see after this boy. He laid on that parking lot all night."

Sixteen-year-old Christal Paguada said she grew up with Nunez and that his family also stayed at her home for an extended period.  She believes Nunez was walking home from work at a restaurant when the shooting happened a block and a half from her home.

"He always lit up a room anywhere he came into," Paguada. "When we found out we were, we were in shock. A respectable guy with a good heart. My friend and I were talking about it, and she was telling me how she remembers this one time where he literally bought us a pizza with the sense that he was so very genuine."

Metro Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest. 

If you have any information about this shooting, you can reach out to Baltimore County Police at 410-307-2020 or the Metro Crime Stoppers Anonymous tipline at 866-7LockUp.