Mother of Damien Gomez, killed in Southwest Side hit-and-run, calls for justice
A mother is asking for justice after her son was killed in a hit-and-run on Sunday morning.
Damien Gomez, 18, was on his way to pick up food when a speeding driver hit him.
Claudia Torres said her son was loving and that he meant the world to her. She told CBS News Chicago that they had big plans for Easter Sunday, but that day turned to tragedy when her son never came home.
"I always protected him, and I felt like that day I couldn't ... I wasn't able to do anything for him," Claudia said.
Her youngest child wipes away her tears as she battles with the pain of losing her firstborn. She had plans to celebrate his birthday in June.
"We were going to make it big because everybody's apart, five years. He was going to be 19, the other one 14, and she's going to be nine," Claudia said.
Early Sunday morning, in the 6300 block of South Kedzie Avenue, Chicago police said that a red sport utility vehicle sped through a red light, hitting Gomez while he was riding his bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Flowers, balloons, and a teddy bear are near the intersection, including shattered glass.
Torres said her son was trying to help her out by making some extra money delivering food at the time of the crash.
"He graduated from Hubbard High School last year. He wanted to find a job and start providing," she said.
Torres tried to call him, but his phone went straight to voicemail multiple times. She tried to call again.
"Then an officer picked up and told me that he wanted to see me in person, and I'm like, 'Is everything ok?' No, we have to talk to you in person."
That's when she found out the driver had hit her son and another vehicle.
"I want justice. I want the person that did this to my nephew, I want him to pay," said Natailia Torres, aunt.
A silver car was headed south on Kedzie Avenue and had the green light to go through the intersection.
A 22-year-old woman who was a passenger in the red SUV was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. The driver of the red SUV ran from the scene before police arrived.
"He needs to be arrested for what he did. You can run away, but we're going to find you," Natailia said.
"He's going to have on his conscience that he killed an amazing person," Claudia said.
The police said they are still looking for the driver of that SUV. In the meantime, the family has created a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses for Gomez.
