PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A child was killed after being hit by a vehicle Monday night in the Cascade Lakes subdivision west of Lantana. Family members identified the child as Jonnhy Ramirez. His mom said he would've turned two in March.
“We’re destroyed, a loss difficult to overcome,” said Zoila Castillo, the baby’s mother.
At 8:33 p.m., deputies responded to the 6300 block of Bula Alex Cay Trail after a child was struck by a vehicle.
Deputies arrived and found Ramirez dead at the scene.
“We were all playing here with the boy and he went off running….when we looked it was there,” Castillo said through a translator.
The driver fled the area, and deputies are actively searching for the driver.
Family identify the 1-year-old hit and killed by a driver on NYE in Lantana as Jonnhy Ramirez. His mom says he would have turned 2 in March. PBSO tells us deputies are actively searching for the driver. @WPTV pic.twitter.com/KZXAQJ5gkb
— Ryan Hughes (@HughesWPTV) January 1, 2019
“My mom and this other lady were the first people who started calling out for help cause they saw him first and that’s when everybody else ran out,” said Danae Resendiz, who lives next door and babysat Ramirez. “He was always really playful with my little brother and we almost saw him every day playing on the trampoline.” and babysat Ramirez. “He was always really playful with my little brother and we almost saw him every day playing on the trampoline.”
On Tuesday, a memorial was set up at the crash scene, with people bringing flowers, candles, and stuffed animals.
PBSO says they have an idea who the driver is and deputies are out actively searching. Investigators also say it appears the driver is known to the family, but Castillo told WPTV she does not know the person responsible.
Castillo is now trying to stay strong for her three other children, but she’s asking the driver to come forward.
“Confront the situation because it was an accident that can happen to anyone, but confront the situation, show your face and come forward and say it was me,” said Castillo, who wants to have her son buried back home in Guatemala.
BREAKING: A child is dead after being hit by a car on New Year’s Eve. Deputies searching for driver. Live at 11 pm with the latest. @WPTV https://t.co/eUCzm1ydA4 pic.twitter.com/od3AZgrzpT
— Merris Badcock (@MerrisBadcock) January 1, 2019
