MIAMI (WSVN) - The family of a murdered South Florida activist made a plea to the public to come forward with information to help find their son’s killer.
Raizha Chiesi, the mother of the victim, was in tears while she spoke at a podium at City of Miami Police Headquarters, Tuesday.
Chiesi said she remains heartbroken after 29-year-old Gonzalo Vizcardo was shot and killed near Northeast 55th Street and Miami Place at around 1 a.m. on Nov. 7.
“I still can’t believe this happened to my child,” she said. “My son was my youngest child. My only son. He was my everything.”
Vizcardo was found shot several times in the street, and he lived not far from the crime scene.
Witnesses at the scene described to 7News what they heard that morning.
“I heard someone say, ‘What?’ And then, I heard the first gun shot,” a witness said. “The guy came running across the intersection saying, ‘They’re trying to kill me. They’re trying to kill me.'”
Three weeks after his death, no arrests have been made, and Vizcardo’s family and friends are pleading for help.
“Today, he’s the one that deserves justice,” Juan Cuba, Vizcardo’s friend, said.
City of Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina and Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle also stood with the family during their plea.
“He did go to a restaurant,” Colina said. “He was on his way home. He might have stopped at a store first or gone home and then gone back to the store and come back. We know that the likelihood is that someone exists that has some information.”
Vizcardo was a graduate from Florida Atlantic University, a rising player in Miami’s political scene and a passionate activist.
“He fought for human rights,” Chiesi said. “He was an activist. He was very loved.”
7News spoke to Vizcardo in July 2018 during an immigration facility protest in Miramar.
“Well, what we’re seeing right now at the border is a violation of human rights,” Vizcardo said. “It’s a violation of the rule of law.”
As detectives search for new leads, Vizcardo’s family hopes the community their son loved so much can help find his killer.
“If they’ve seen something, come forward and tell the police,” Chiesi said. “We need to know what happened.”
If you have any information on this homicide, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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