Heartbroken mother wants driver who fatally struck her 3-year-old to be charged

Child was with his parents while they sold Valentines Day gifts out of roadside tent

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A South Florida mother is heartbroken, grieving the loss of her 3-year-old boy.

The child was killed on Valentines Day when he was run over by a Dodge Charger in Southwest Miami-Dade County.

"I am trying to be strong," said Judy Rojo, the boy's mother. "Every morning, he would come outside and give me a flower."

This 3-year-old boy was struck and killed by an out-of-control vehicle in Southwest Miami-Dade County on Valentines Day. (Judy Rojo)

Authorities have yet to arrest the man behind the wheel, and Rojo wants to know why.

The boy was with his family as they sold gifts for the holiday from underneath a roadside tent along U.S. 1 north, near Southwest 304th Street.

Witnesses say the Dodge was traveling at a high rate of speed, coming from the direction of the Spitzer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership just south of where the tent was set up. According to those witnesses, the car veered off the road before pinning the boy underneath one of the tires.

A 3-year-old boy was struck and killed after a man driving in a Dodge Charger lost control of the vehicle in Southwest Miami-Dade County. (WPLG)

Florida Highway Patrol deputies said charges are pending.

"I saw my son under the tire," said Rojo. "The tire was resting on top of him."

Witnesses used a jack to lift the car off the child, but it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Deputies identified Hanskabell Amargos, 42, as the driver. Police also identified a passenger in the Dodge, 28-year-old Litney Castro.

"Why you accelerated?" Rojo asked of Amargos. "He ran over my baby. He was only three, and there is nothing that can bring him back."

A makeshift memorial was created where the child was killed. A viewing will be held on Thursday and the burial will take place Friday.


About the Author

Roy Ramos joined the Local 10 News team in 2018. Roy is a South Florida native who grew up in Florida City. He attended Christopher Columbus High School, Homestead Senior High School and graduated from St. Thomas University.

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