Fundraiser, Vigil Held For Skateboarder Killed In Hit-And-Run Crash
NORWALK (CBSLA.com) — A fundraiser and vigil were held Friday afternoon in memory of a skateboarder killed in a hit-and-run accident six months ago.
Daniel Ortiz, then 20, was killed on the evening of February 9, 2013.
Family and friends are frustrated that there are no leads and that Ortiz's killer is still out there.
They held a vigil and fundraiser at 3 p.m. Friday in Norwalk, a day after what would have been Ortiz's 21st birthday -- a milestone his family said he was really looking forward to.
The vigil was held at the corner of Foster and Studebaker Road, not far from where he was struck -- just a few blocks from his home.
His mother, Sherrie Ortiz, told CBS2's Kristine Lazar that the grieving process goes on.
"It's just been so hard without him," said Ortiz.
The family established an email account -- Justice4Daniel@gmail.com -- for the public to send any possible leads.
A reward for information about the car or driver stands at $5,000. The vehicle has been described as a dark blue 2003-2006 Nissan Titan pickup truck. The vehicle would have sustained significant front end damage.
"It's been very difficult to get any kind of answers from the public," said Ortiz's sister Teresa Macias, "No one wants to come forward and say anything. We hope the increase in the award will get someone to say something."
Ortiz's family knows finding out who killed Daniel won't bring him back but they need to know who that person is so they can have some amount of closure.
"I don't know how they [the driver] can live with themselves," said Ortiz, "knowing they did this to someone's family."
Sherrie Ortiz said she wants her son to be remembered as "a young man, that was starting his life, a hard worker. He had a job. He had goals. He had a lot of friends. I want him to be remembered as that fun-loving Daniel."
