"He didn't even reach 13": the mother of the boy killed outside a bodega breaks her silence
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
New York — The mother of the 12-year-old boy who was shot and killed outside a bodega in The Bronx last week spoke out on Tuesday amid profound grief, after spending hours in front of an improvised altar in honor of her son. Through tears, Migdalia Martínez shared her suffering and demanded more action from authorities to end the gun violence that took her son, Jacob Freytes. "I want this to stop; those who are police should do it for a reason, because you want to, not because there are benefits. Because in the end, if you are a police officer and a young boy dies next to where you work, you have failed him," the mother said. "He no longer has a life. He never reached 13 years old," she told Telemundo 47 on Tuesday. "He will never graduate from high school. And the guy who killed him did. He will never have a girlfriend, and the guy who killed him did. He will never have children. And that guy who killed him did." Martínez noted that her son lived "a part" of his life. "I just want him to live the rest," she added. How did the events unfold? Freytes, who was also the son of a retired detective sergeant from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), was on his bicycle in front of the bodega located between Elliot Street and Walton Avenue in The Bronx before 5:00 p.m. on Saturday to buy some snacks. The boy stopped in front of the establishment where several adults were fighting. One of them pulled out a gun and fired. The boy was shot in the shoulder and later died in a hospital. Surveillance video shows the group arguing, and the suspect stepping back before firing at the group. The boy ran inside the bodega trying to find safety while holding his chest or shoulder and collapsed shortly after. Two other individuals, aged 34 and 25, who were part of the fighting group, were also injured, according to the police. Who is the suspect? Hours later, authorities arrested the suspect, identified as 45-year-old William Ferrer, who pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and involuntary manslaughter. Jacob's mother stated that Jacob's killer must pay for what he did. "He should spend his whole life in prison. He shouldn't even see the hope of getting out," the mother said. Ferrer faces a sentence of 25 years to life if convicted of the main charge: second-degree murder. He is scheduled to return to court this Friday.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
