MIAMI – More than a decade after a Miami teenager was murdered while riding his bicycle, investigators are making an appeal to the public for new information.
Family members remember 16-year-old Bryan Herrera as a karate kid, a loving brother, and an avid video game player.
Anabel Herrera came into the picture as Bryan’s stepmother when he was only 3. Cherishing each photo of him, she now wonders about the man Bryan would be today.
“He had a future, then all of a sudden it’s gone,” Herrera said.
The straight-A student was riding his bike to a friend’s house the morning of Dec. 22, 2012, when he was murdered at the corner of Northwest 11th Avenue and 39th Street.
Investigators have no idea who killed the teen. The case is now 10 years cold.
Miami police cold case detective Nestor Amores is the lead detective on Bryan’s case.
“He was actually going to go finish his homework,” said Amores.
He says the teen was shot and killed, but who pulled the trigger and why remains a mystery.
“It makes it even harder when it’s a juvenile, so that has been very hard for me as a detective,” Amores said.
It’s been more than a decade, with every lead turning out to be a dead end. The family even put up billboards asking for tips.
“It’s unexplainable,” said Herrera. “We still have no answers. We don’t know why he was shot, who shot him.”
Herrera said their family will never be the same, but they have faith someone saw something and will eventually come forward and do the right thing.
A reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Anyone who thinks they know something can call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.