The recent shooting of 15-year-old Yvette Marie Torres and lack of progress in finding the person who shot her has led a group of concerned residents, from the Bronx, Queens and even Massachusetts, to take the investigation into their own hands.
The group, led by Nelson Figueroa, a childhood friend of Yvette’s mother, have organized a “Rally for Yvette” this Saturday at 2396 Valentine Avenue, near the corner of E. 187th Street, just below Fordham Road. That’s where Yvette was shot after apparently standing up to a bully during a party. They created a “Rally for Yvette” Facebook page to advertise the event.
Figueroa also set up a phone number (347-670-3843) and an e-mail address (JUSTICE4EVIE@gmail.com) so witnesses and or anyone with information about the shooting, who might not feel comfortable dealing with police, could come forward.
According to Figueroa, Yvette was taken out of a medically-induced coma yesterday and given two days to respond. Doctors were checking for brain activity, he said.
Also from the Facebook page:
“If you haven’t seen this in the news, you’re not alone. Most people haven’t. It was drowned out by political scandals and celebrity gossip. This is unacceptable. This is where you step in.
We will be in the Fordham section of the Bronx, mainly, the area in which the incident took place, to hand out and post flyers, and urge the residents of this community to take a stand against gun violence and to come forward if they have info that could lead to the capture of the coward who shot Evie. We need as many people as we can get in order to fully cover the area. If you can’t make it, please spread the word. Its the least we can do while a teenage girl’s life hangs in the balance.”
Organizers said the rally and canvassing would take place from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A call to the 46th Precinct, where the shooting took place, went unanswered. A spokesperson for the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Public Information (DCPI) said there were no updates in the case and that no suspects had been identified.
