New Philadelphia teens remembered on anniversary of death
By Andy Mehalshick,
6 hours ago
NEW PHILADELPHIA, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It’s a crime that shocked a small Schuylkill County community, and some say it changed that community forever.
The brutal murders of two teenagers happened one year ago.
16-year-old Angelito Caraballo and 18-year-old Hunter Mock were allegedly killed by a man they thought was their friend.
At the new Philadelphia Little League field, family and friends of the murdered teens are gathering here to remember the teens and to call for justice.
They release hundreds of balloons in honor of the teens. The people here say all of their lives changed forever on that fateful day one year ago.
“It makes me sick to my stomach, anxiety through the roof. A day we have marked in our lives forever,” said Hunter Mock’s mother, Kate Mock.
The bodies of 16-year-old Angelito Caraballo and 18-year-old Hunter Mock were found in a wooded area near New Philadelphia on October 10. They were murdered on October 8.
Police charged 19-year-old Lamour Branch with the murders.
Detectives say he shot Mock and stabbed Caraballo to death.
“Tell me why you took my baby! You owe me that! Please tell me why you did this!” Kate exclaimed.
On the day Branch was arrested, anger and frustration from mothers who just wanted to know why.
The mothers of the victims say while they are pleased an arrest has been made, they believe others may have been involved in the murders.
“Although in my mind I feel like that everybody that knew and everybody that had a part in it should be held accountable as well,” Angelito Caraballo’s mother Tanya Evans said.
They say they are living a nightmare.
“Honestly I’ve been thinking it’s still not reality. I wait for my son every day to come around that corner and give me the big goofy grin. It’s been a year and yet, it feels like time has stopped,” Kate explained.
Security camera video taken on the night shows Caraballo and Mock leave Mock’s apartment in New Philadelphia the night they were murdered. They would be dead within hours.
“I just wish he would have listened to me and paid more attention to his surroundings and the people he surrounded himself with,” Tanya explained.
Branch remains locked up and detectives say there is no clear motive for the murders.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
Comments / 0