18-year-old Anthony Vega Cruz lived along Treat Street in Wethersfield, less than half a mile from the scene of Saturday`s officer involved shooting along Silas Deane Highway.
His sister, Katherine Colon said, “I was like what news, he was like the news, Chulo got shot, I was like oh my God my whole life fell apart.”
Colon sat down with FOX61 to talk about how her family is dealing with the aftermath.
“He was everything to us, he was going to graduate this year.”
Cruz lived at his home in Wethersfield for almost two years with his father and older sister. His father, Jose Vega said it`s been difficult not to have Anthony`s presence in the home. Vega says he heard the sirens in the neighborhood at the time of the shooting but had no idea it involved his son.
Vega said, “When my other daughter came she was the one that told me my son had been shot.”
Vega says cruz was home that day and left to get lunch with his girlfriend before the incident.
Vega took us into his son`s bedroom and showed teddy bear was given to him while in the hospital following the shooting.
“He liked music, he liked painting, t-shirts,” said Katherine.
Vega said, “This pain is going to continue with me for the rest of my life.”
The family said they have retained high-profile, civil rights lawyer, Benjamin Crump. Crump is known for representing the families of Trayvon Martin and other victims of police involved shootings including 18-year-old Michael Brown OF Ferguson, Missouri and 12-year-old Tamir Rice of Cleveland, Ohio.
Katherine said, “He is taking the case , I’m glad because all I want is justice for my brother.”