A 14-year-old boy was shot dead while painting over gang graffiti in a California park — with his horrified family learning about it through social media.
Benny Gutierrez was with several friends painting over the graffiti in El Dorado Park on Monday night when several shots were fired from a car in the parking lot, officials told KTLA.
The 14-year-old was hit once and pronounced dead at the scene — with his family only finding out six hours later through social media, they told the local outlet.
“My heart dropped because that’s my baby,” Benny’s older sister, Crysta Gutierrez, told KTLA. “I just couldn’t believe it because this pain is so unbearable.”
His mother Rosalie Guitierrez, a single mom and social worker, said she saw her son an hour before he was killed.
“He was funny, he was outgoing, he was loving, he loved his sisters,” she recalled.
The teen’s family told KTLA they believe they know who is responsible, though investigators are still collecting evidence.
Benny’s mom shared a message with her son’s killer. “You took a child’s life. My world was him,” she told KTLA.
“He was my baby, and I was dedicated to him. So, if you’re hearing this, you’re going to get caught and we are going to get justice.”
His family described Benny, who was 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, as a big, football-playing teddy bear.
“People thought he was this tough guy on the outside, but on the inside, he was just this little kid that was scared of everything,” said Crysta, his sister.
The slain teen’s friends and family have gathered in the park each night since to honor him.
“I know Benny looks big for his age, but he’s just a baby,” his cousin, Cindy Estrada, said. “He’s just funny. … He’s really family-oriented. He’s not a gangster or anything like that.”
A GoFundMe set up to raise funeral funds for the “large-than-life” teen noted he was an offensive lineman for the AV Colts and “exemplified strength, loyalty, and a fierce determination to protect those he cared for, both on and off the field.”
By Thursday, the fundraiser had raised over $12,000.
No arrests have been made.
