Loved Ones Of Mother Gunned Down At Northwest Miami-Dade Home Speak Out
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Loved ones of a Northwest Miami-Dade mother who lost her life when her home was riddled with bullets early Sunday morning are speaking out, saying they are "devastated."
CBS4'S Peter D'Oench caught up with family members of 44-year-old Ivelisse Alvarado Sanchez outside the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where they say they were hoping to visit 13-year-old Elian Soto, the son of Sanchez who was rushed to the hospital after being wounded.
The shooting happened just before 4:30 a.m. Sunday at the home that they say Sanchez had been living in for about a year at N.W. 18th Court and 129th street.
Sanchez's niece did not want to show her face but she said "I mean this is terrible. That all I got to say."
Sanchez's brother told D'Oench "We are devastated over what happened to her. We don't know what happened. She has never had any problems."
CBS4 also spoke with Sanchez's brother-in-law, Johnny Reyes, who said she was part of a close-knit family from the Dominican Republic and worked hard at her job.
"She packed things," said Reyes. "She was 44. The kid is out of danger now and he is doing well thank God. His name is Elian Soto. He is 13."
Family members said they hoped that the youngster, who is a student at a Miami-Dade public school, will be released soon.
Alice Spann, who lives next door to where the incident happened, said "All I heard was bang, bang, bang. I heard about 10 shots. I didn't know what to think. I feel terrible. This is terrible. It was a life wasted."
In a strange twist, she also said another drive-by shooing at the age home claimed the life of another person from another family four years ago.
Miami-Dade Schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho tweeted, "Bullets are Indiscriminately targetting children, mothers, fathers on the street and inside homes. When will it end? How many lives will be lost? How many more senseless tragedies must we witness? Stricter gun control shouldn't be a political position, but a moral imperative."
Police have not said if they have a motive or a description of the shooter or shooters.
Anyone with information that can help them should call Miam-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
There is a reward of up to $3,000.
