The father of an Alexandria City High School student who was stabbed to death last week is frustrated no one has been arrested and the lack of information he’s getting from police.
In the Mejia family’s apartment, they hoped it would be a time of celebration as 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez was about to graduate. Instead, there are flowers and photos marking his passing.
His father told Telemundo 44’s Solangi Sosa about his pain.
“It’s so painful because what we’re doing now should be preparing for him to get his diploma, and now we’re getting ready to say goodbye, practically,” Osmin Mejia said.
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In addition to this father’s grief is frustration that his son’s killer has not been arrested even though cellphone video documents the brawl at the Bradlee Shopping Center that ended with the teenager being stabbed.
“It makes me feel very bad," he said. "I’m looking for justice for my son."
Mejia also says he’s having trouble getting information from police about progress in their investigation.
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“I call them, and it takes until the next day or 24 hours before they return my call,” he said. “I ask how the investigation is going, and they tell me they can’t tell me anything yet. So, I’m practically in limbo.”
An Alexandria police spokesman told News4 that in order to get true justice for a victim’s family, a case must be carefully investigated. With 30-50 teens at the scene, this investigation is complicated.
“Before we present a case to the prosecution it has to be thorough or it will be rejected,” the spokesman said. “The reason it’s taken so long is because we want to do our due diligence.”
Mejia said his son was born in this country but spent some time during his childhood in El Salvador, where his mother lives.
The family says they believed Alexandria was a better, more promising place for Luis to grow up.
The victim’s father says Alexandria City High officials have asked if he wants to accept his son’s diploma at next months’ graduation.
“I don’t know if I’ll have the strength to do it,” he said.
Mejía says that although his son was an American citizen, he is raising funds to send his body back to El Salvador, where he can be buried next to his mother.
