NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The mother of 21-year old Angel Rodriguez gathered with family and friends to celebrate his life in a vigil after he was found dead this Monday. The case still is being investigated as police and family search for answers.
The death of Rodriguez is the 7th homicide in the Elm City so far this year.
Emotional, yet comforting friends and family were seen clinging to one another on Orange Street near the Mill River to honor the life of Rodriguez.
Jannette Ayala-Ruis, who is the mother of Rodriguez, said, “A lot of emotion, not just because he was my son, but because he wasn’t one of these kids out in the street. He had a disability and he struggled to provide for his family. He didn’t want any help from anybody... he needed to prove with his disability he could do things on his own.”
Ayala-Ruis spoke with FOX61 and says her son was a dreamer and a strong man.
Rodriguez was found dead with a gunshot wound near Mill River in New Haven this past Monday after Jannette says he went missing the day prior.
Ayala-Ruis says she still can’t wrap her head around what happened, but this pain is unfortunately familiar.
Ayala-Ruis said, “Unfortunately when I was younger, I lost my daughter, my first daughter and every time I want to breakdown, I think of everything step that I went through with her and I need to hold it together because who else is going to take care of everything if I breakdown if my daughter breaks down.”
The family says Rodriguez suffered from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease which damages the nerves in the arms and legs.
Loved ones say this never stopped him, especially when it came to taking care of his son.
Ayala-Ruis said, “He lived on the second floor, he came downstairs to get his baby and I got upset and I said can somebody come help and he was like no mommy I don’t want no help. When I want them to help me with my baby, I’ll tell them. I’ll get my baby, I’ll handle this.”
When Rodriguez wasn’t taking care of his son, He worked at Amazon as a security guard and was working to become his own entrepreneur making clothes with the brand “Broke No More”
While police search for the person behind Rodriguez’s death, the family says they have only one message.
Ayala-Ruis said, ”One thing I can tell you as a mother I want justice for my son and I am going to make sure that he gets justice one way or another. I’m going to be behind whoever I need to be behind... I’m going to do my part to make sure that whoever is responsible for this... he’s going to pay.
The New Haven Police Department is still investigating this incident. If you have any information you are encouraged to call police.