'It's Something You Never Get Over': Family, Police Make New Appeal For Help In 2012 Murder Of Miami Teen Bryan Herrera
MIAMI (CBSMiami) — There is a new appeal for help in the 2012 murder of a 16-year-old Miami boy who was shot and killed while riding his bicycle.
That plea is coming from Miami Police and the loved ones of Bryan Herrera.
"He was my son and I love him," said Anabel Herrera. "He is a very big missing part of my life."
Anabel Herrera told CBS4'S Peter D'Oench that she will never get over the loss of a child who she helped raise since he was 4 years old, her step-son Bryan.
"It's horrible," she said. "It's ongoing. It's something you never get over. It's something you have to relive over and over in your head and know there is no arrest. It doesn't make it any easier."
Precious photos remind her of what happened at 11:05 a.m. on Dec. 22nd of 2012, just three days before Christmas.
The teenager was riding his bicycle to a friend's house to work on a homework packet when he was shot and killed.
"Still 6 years later and we still look at pictures and we cannot believe that this has happened," said Herrera. "You look at it on TV and you cannot imagine it can happen to you."
It happened at Northwest 11th Avenue and Northwest 39th Street.
"He was a child," she said. "What pains us is somebody took his life and we won't see a college graduation. We won't see a marriage. We won't see children."
Loved ones initially passed out flyers and were joined on Dec. 27, 2012 by Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
Anabel Herrera says Bryan was a straight A student at Miami Jackson Senior High School.
"He loved video games," she said. "He was going to go into robotics. He had a great future ahead of him. He was going to be anything he wanted to be."
Family members say Herrera had no enemies and no criminal history.
"He was doing nothing wrong and someone shot him once and killed him instantly," said Miami police spokeswoman, Officer Kenia Fallat.
Fallat says she too is haunted by this case and the loss of such a promising youngster.
"Initially we thought it could have been a robbery but at this point everything is up in the air," she said.
Fallat says the motive is still not known. She says it's even possible that Bryan Herrera was struck by a stray bullet.
"We have come up empty handed and at this point we need someone to call us with the information," she says.
Anabel Herrera says, "We need somebody to come forward and say something and be willing to testify. That's the most important thing. Somebody had to see something. He was only a boy. He was only 16. He was not a man. He was a kid and he deserved to live and to enjoy life. We need to get the person out there."
She says she will never give up.
"I have hope and I will keep fighting every single day of my life until I get an arrest for Bryan," she says.
Herrera has even sent letters to everyone in the neighborhood where her step-son lost his life, urging them to come forward if they have any information.
"We need witnesses to come forward," she says. "I know they are out there."
Anyone with information should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477). There's a reward of up to $3,000.
