Aimer Robledo spent his final hours with his family — playing music and celebrating the arrival of a new year at his home in Humboldt Park.
But barely two hours into 2015, his niece said the 30-year-old DJ was invited to a friend’s party. So he hopped onto his bike, planning to visit his two young daughters at their mother’s home on the way.
He never made it, his niece said.
Instead, Robledo was struck and killed by a dark-color minivan about 2:40 a.m. in the 4700 block of West Division, Chicago Police said. The driver of the minivan took off west on Division, police said.
Robledo was pronounced dead at 3:37 a.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital. An autopsy found he died of multiple injuries, and his death was ruled an accident.
Chicago Police investigate the scene where bicyclist Aimer Robledo was killed in a hit-and-run accident on the West Side early New Year’s Day. | NVP News video
Ibon Hernandez said her uncle’s oldest daughter, 9, has taken Robledo’s death particularly hard. His youngest, 8, is “still trying to comprehend what’s going on,” she said.
But Robledo’s wife is “devastated.”
“Her two girls don’t have a father any more,” Hernandez said. “She doesn’t know what to do.”
Family members are calling on anyone with information about the hit-and-run accident that took Robledo’s life to report it to Chicago Police.
The crash ripped from them the man who would often play DJ at big family parties — including its recent Christmas party — and who could liven up the room “when everybody was sad or the party was pretty down.”
“Him and my uncle would start dancing, just being silly,” Hernandez said. “Then everybody would want to stand up and start dancing.”
Hernandez said Robledo, who lived in the 1400 block of North Avers, would often ride his bike because he didn’t have a car.
She said her uncle was “always smiling.” Never did she see him angry.
“He was a good person,” Hernandez said. “When you needed help, he was there to help you.”
Contributing: Mitch Armentrout
