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Father Of Teen Killed While Riding Bike Pleads For Public's Help

MIAMI (CBS4) - The grieving father of a 16-year-old old boy who is shot and killed while riding his bicycle is riding his appeal for the public's help because he says police need help with this troubling case and because he is trying to raise money for a reward.

"He was really nice. He was a good kid. There was no reason for this to happen," said William Herrera, the father of Bryan Herrera. "I can't believe it. Some days I wake up and say I can't believe what happened to us."

Herrera told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, " You have no idea how I feel unless you are in my shoes." He told D'Oench he still keeps pictures of his son on his apartment walls to remind him every day of how precious his only son was.

Police say it was just before 11 a.m. on December 22nd of last year when Herrera was struck in the head by one bullet while he was riding his bicycle to a friend's home to do homework.

It happened at NW 11th Avenue and 39th Street. Miami Police say they have no description of any suspect or suspects and have no motive.

William Herrera said his son was a straight-A student at Miami Jackson Senior High School and had no enemies and no criminal history.

"We don't know if it was one person, two persons or a group," Herrera said. "We have no idea but we are pretty sure that somebody knows something."

Neighborhood activist Lester Person told CBS4 that he and other residents have been searching the neighborhood looking for anyone who knows something or saw something.

"Some idiot took his life for a cell phone," said Person. "That's what his parents say. That was the only thing missing from him, a cell phone. I wish somebody would come forward. It's ironic that nobody saw anything because we are very close around here."

The murder of Bryan Herrera has been a high-profile case.

On December 24, on Christmas Eve, William Herrera was joined by other loved ones at Miami Police headquarters in making a public appeal for help.

On December 27th, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Albert Carvalho joined members of Herrera's family in passing out flyers around the area of Miami Jackson Senior High School as they appealed for the community's help.

At the time, Carvalho told D'Oench, "This hurts all of us. This is robbing the innocence of America one child at a time."

Herrera told CBS4 that Carvalho and his wife "actually came to our home on Christmas Day. He came to my house and they were very supportive."

Herrera hopes and prays that someone will step forward with information that will help solve his son's murder.

"We would like to see if there is a way to reach the criminals and take them off the street once and forever to prevent tragedies like this one and I don't want them to happen to anyone else," he said. "We would like to see if someone would come forward and say they saw this. We need help."

Herrera said he was trying to raise money to add to the Miami-Dade Crimestoppers reward of up to $1,000.

"It's been very hard," he told D'Oench. "I live pay check to pay check. It's hard to raise money on our own."

Anyone with information about the murder of Bryan Herrera is urged to call Miami Police or Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).

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