DENVER — A temporary memorial of flowers, pictures and crosses marks the spot where 16-year-old Juan Herrera-Lozano spent some of his happiest times. The same spot is where his young life came to a sudden end Saturday.
Around 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Herrera-Lozano was skateboarding at the Denver Skate Park on 19th Street in LoDo. In a surveillance video released by detectives, Herrera-Lozano can be seen crossing the street and speaking with people inside a car.
Someone in the car then fired a gun, hitting and killing Herrera-Lozano, for reasons that are still unclear.
Speaking through a translator, Herrera-Lozano's father, Domingo Herrera, said, "He thought it was his friends, so that's why he approached the car, and when he realized it wasn't his friends he walked away, and that's when it happened."
His parents say Herrera-Lozano was a wonderful son – a happy kid with a lot of friends – never in trouble with the law.
"He never gave us any big issues, just a normal kid, and a good kid," said his mother, Ana Lozano. "And he had a great heart."
His parents did say that Herrera-Lozano told them recently that somebody was out to get him, though he never explained why. And, tragically, somebody did get him.
"It's affected us immensely, we feel very empty, we're not complete – we're missing a part of him," his mother said.
Anyone with information about the person or people who killed Herrera-Lozano is asked to call Denver crime stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
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