BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Brianda Rodriguez is still processing the loss of her 12-year-old son Tristen Rudy Alexander Aguilar Rodriguez.
“‘Bye mom, I love you, see you later’…I’m never hearing, I will never hear that again,” said Brianda Rodriguez. “I will never hear him telling me he loves me.”
Responding deputies found Tristen suffering from a gunshot wound around noon Oct. 10th, at a mobile home on Gregory Avenue in Lamont.
He died at the scene.
“He was special, he was very outgoing, very friendly. He loved to play football,” said Brianda Rodriguez. “My son had dreams to play football, he told me he wanted to go to the NFL and be a football player.”
The middle child of 5, Tristen was the first son in the family. Rodriguez thinks his killing was intentional.
“It was definitely not an accident,” said Brianda Rodriguez. “I just feel that it was not an accident. That’s all I could say because the investigation is still ongoing.”
Rodriguez says her son was not involved in a gang or involved in gun violence, and deserved a better fate.
“I will never have a hug from him, he will never get to experience marriage, go to college, go to high school, a birthday,” said Brianda Rodriguez. “Everything is gone. He took everything from me.”
The sheriff’s office says a male juvenile was arrested in connection to the crime.
Rare comet photographed over Inyokern Prosecutors identified him as Javier Leo Armendariz.
Rodriguez wants justice to be served and the community to remember Tristen for everything he was.
“He was also very caring, very funny, he cared for his brothers and sister…he would help me around the house. Overall, he was just a kid with dreams,” said Brianda Rodriguez. “And he was a good kid.”
Armendariz was initially arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder. Since then, the District Attorney’s Office has filed a petition alleging first-degree murder.
Armendariz has a court date set for December.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help them through this difficult time, you can donate here .
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