Search For Answers After Peekskill High School Soccer Star Joaquin Salazar, 18, Stabbed To Death
PEEKSKILL, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - The Thanksgiving holiday weekend brought grief to a Westchester family.
Their only son was stabbed to death. The victim was a high school soccer star.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reports, the size of Sunday night's memorial speaks to the immense love and respect many felt for 18-year-old Joaquin Salazar, part of a tight-knit family with roots in Uruguay and Peru.
He was considered like a brother to his cousin Sofia Santucci.
"Cared about everyone. Selfless. He would always put his friends and family first, before anything," she said.
Saturday night at Charles Point Park in Peekskill, Salazar and two other young men were stabbed after some kind of altercation. The circumstances are unclear. Police have released few details.
Salazar's injuries proved fatal.
He was a gifted soccer player at Peekskill High, who just last year was a contender for the Journal News player of the week award.
"Joaquin was a soccer star, upcoming, overall great player, great person, great kid. He had a bright future. This is not right," said Salazar's uncle Marcello Santucci.
Salazar's parents and sister are understandably distraught.
"They live, they work for their kids and for something tragic to happen like this, it's shocking," Sofia Santucci said. "He was an influential older brother and a hard working son and losing him is just so tragic."
A Facebook campaign aims to help Salazar's family with funeral expenses.
Police are asking anyone with information to come forward by calling 914-737-8000.
MORE FROM CBS NEW YORK