He was knocked down and killed on a motorcycle just a few streets away from where he lived. And the driver of the vehicle that did it is reported to be a 17 year old minor. Jomarie Lanza spoke to the older sister of victim, Chester Noralez today and she is demanding justice for her brother. Here's that report.
He was knocked down and killed by a vehicle that flung him off his cycle a distance away from the roadside last night. It happened just after 11:00 and not too far from 44 year old Chester Noralez's home. He was coming out from A Plus restaurant on Mahogany street when he was hit. His sister told us what she saw when she arrived on scene:
Stephanie Noralez, Sister of Deceased
"The first call I got, my sister called like a very good friend and said Steph they knocked down your brother you need to be on Mahogany street that is in my area that we live and after I got a next call on my phone from one of my close neighbors she said please hurry they just knocked down Coolie and then she said I think he is dead, and I said dead? When I heard that news I was like oh my gosh I need to go there right right now so I jumped in the vehicle, they dropped me off and everything and that was when I saw my brother lying down on the floor with his eyes open looking at us you know he was out, I saw his legs were broken, his throat, the neck was broken his chest, you can actually see the wheel, the mud of the wheel was right over his chest and that was when I knew that he was definitely dead he is dead so when I saw that I cried out I screamed and everything and all I remember is where is the person who killed my brother? I went directly to the vehicle. I saw 4 police officers, one in a green shirt he had on a hat and the one who is saying he is the police that was driving without a uniform because he was not on his shift he was the one that they said knocked my brother down."
Noralez says that they told her the person driving the vehicle was an adult and not the 17 year old who looked very shaken up after the accident. But in the police report we received it does confirm that the 17 year old was driving. And while they wait and see what charges will be brought, her brother - who had a long criminal history - has passed:
Stephanie Noralez, Sister of Deceased
"My brother changed his life. He came out of the prison for a couple of years before my mom died. My mom was so happy he changed his lifestyle. Nobody is perfect and I believe in people and that they can change. You need to give people second chances in their life and you need to be family supportive. You need to make sure you carry yourself respectfully and you need to make sure you have your family's back at all times."
It's difficult for this family to process, especially having lost their mother earlier within the year. And despite all the hardship, as a big sister, Noralez says she will pull herself together and ensure that her brother receives justice, and persons are held responsible.
Stephanie Noralez, Sister of Deceased
"We lost someone that was everything to us. He might sometimes drink, be sometimes provoking in our neighborhood but everyone knows him and loves him And I will be that person who always remembered my brother as a loving sweet person and who always loved me and gave me so many names. So on behalf of us again I am not going to sit and let my brother's death go just like that because I am very hurt and watching my brother last night and his eyes on me just laying there it really hurts me."
We'll be following up to see what charges are brought.
We should note that Noralez was well known to the police and had been charged for serious offenses dating back to the 90's.
