Crime Stoppers: Family convinced that community members know who killed teen
Ruben Contreras was shot and killed in November 2020, but still, no arrests have been made.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The family of Ruben Contreras is convinced that people in the Charlotte area know who is responsible for shooting and killing him.
Contreras was shot and killed at a gathering in northeast Charlotte in November of 2020. He was just 16 years old. The incident happened on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, along Orchard Trace Lane in the University City area.
Contreras’ mother, Sofia Hernandez, spoke to WBTV through a translator on Tuesday.
“I miss him every single day,” she said. “I think about him every single day.”
The grieving mother and Contreras’ older brother, Abel Contreras, returned to the site where Ruben was killed.
Abel said he has been told that his brother was gathering with several other people to mourn the life of someone who had recently died when gunfire erupted. He believes that someone who was with Ruben should know who is responsible for the deadly shooting.
“There were like 30, 40 people and you mean to tell me nobody saw nothing that day? Nobody saw nothing?” Abel asked.
The elder brother said people have told him that they know who is responsible for Ruben’s death.
“I still get messages and still get people telling me, ‘Oh, we know who did it,’ but they don’t want to talk about it because they’re scared,” he said.
Crime Stoppers Detective Rick Smith is encouraging people who know who is responsible for the deadly shooting to contact Crime Stoppers.
“People in general are hesitant about getting involved for fear of retaliation,” the detective said. “That’s the whole purpose of the Crime Stoppers system. It’s completely anonymous and we just ask that you give us a call.”
Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. Tipsters can remain anonymous and they can receive a cash reward if they have information that leads to an arrest.
Community members can also submit tips about crimes through the P3 Tips app.
Related: Police still working to solve north Charlotte homicide, victim’s family pleads for help
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