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La Voz Chicago

FOTOS: Se reúnen en vigilia por Adam Toledo en La Villita

La familia Toledo dijo que querían ‘corregir la falsa e hiriente caracterización errónea de que Adam era un niño solitario de la calle’.

By  Mitch Dudek
   
SHARE FOTOS: Se reúnen en vigilia por Adam Toledo en La Villita
Ana Solano, 26, of Little Village, joins dozens Monday afternoon at a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village.

Ana Solano, de 26 años, se une a decenas de personas el lunes por la tarde en una vigilia por Adam Toledo, de 13 años, cerca del lugar del tiroteo en la calle 24 Oeste y la avenida Sawyer Sur en La Villita.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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La madre de Adam Toledo no asistió a una vigilia para su hijo de 13 años el lunes por la noche porque no se sentía con ánimos de hacerlo, pero envió un comunicado que se leyó a unas 150 personas que sostenían globos blancos.

“Él tenía mucha imaginación y curiosidad desde que era un bebé. Era chistoso y siempre hacía bromas, haciendo reír a todos. Amaba a los animales y andar en bicicleta”, dijo Elizabeth Toledo en el comunicado.

“A Adam le encantaban [las películas de] los zombis, y el apocalipsis zombi. Incluso tenía una bolsa de zombi empacada y lista. Algunas de sus películas y programas de televisión favoritos fueron ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs’, ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Bob Esponja’, ‘Toy Story’, ‘Cars’, y ‘The Walking Dead’”, dijo.

Le gustaba comer Taco Bell, pizza, alitas de pollo, papas fritas y dulces, dijo.

“Que descanse en paz”, agregó.

La declaración fue leída por Jacqueline Herrera, quien se desempeña como directora de prevención de violencia de la organización comunitaria de La Villita, Enlace Chicago. Cientos de globos blancos fueron lanzados momentos después.

Dozens of people release balloons during a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
1 of 11
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
2 of 11
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
3 of 11
Rosie Cisneros, 26, of Gage Park, joins dozens for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
4 of 11
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
5 of 11
Ana Solano, 26, of Little Village, joins dozens for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
6 of 11
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
7 of 11
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
8 of 11
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
9 of 11
Dozens of people release balloons during a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
10 of 11
A memorial for 13-year-old Adam Toledo sits near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
11 of 11
Dozens of people release balloons during a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Rosie Cisneros, 26, of Gage Park, joins dozens for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Ana Solano, 26, of Little Village, joins dozens for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
People gather for a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
Dozens of people release balloons during a vigil for 13-year-old Adam Toledo near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.
A memorial for 13-year-old Adam Toledo sits near the location of the shooting at West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue in Little Village, Monday afternoon, April 5, 2021. Toledo was fatally shot in the chest by a Chicago police officer in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue near Farragut Career Academy High School.

Toledo recibió un disparo de un oficial de policía de Chicago alrededor de las 2 a.m. del 29 de marzo en un callejón en la cuadra 2400 al sur de Sawyer Avenue en lo que la policía describió como un “enfrentamiento armado”.

El concejal George Cárdenas (12º) dijo de Toledo: “Este joven no tenía a nadie. Es triste decirlo. Nadie que pudiera ayudarlo, excepto una pandilla. Entonces, qué vergüenza. Reconozco eso”.

A través de una declaración separada emitida el lunes a través de un abogado, la familia Toledo, en una aparente refutación de los comentarios de Cárdenas, dijo que querían “corregir la falsa e hiriente caracterización errónea de que Adam era un niño solitario de la calle que no tenía a quién acudir”.

La declaración continuó: “Esto simplemente no es cierto. Adam era un niño de 13 años amado y con apoyo. Vivía con su madre, su abuelo de 90 años y dos hermanos. Su padre estaba en su vida. Todos lo querían mucho. La familia Toledo es una familia unida. Se cuidan unos a otros. Adam asistió a la escuela primaria Gary, donde contó con el apoyo de sus maestros y compañeros de clase. Adam no estaba solo”.

El lunes, la alcaldesa Lori Lightfoot comparó a los pandilleros que se aprovechan de la juventud de la ciudad con lobos.

“Como buenos pastores, tenemos que cuidar mejor a nuestros rebaños para mantener fuera a los lobos”, dijo.

Micaela Cruz, de 35 años, asistió a la vigilia el lunes y dijo que las pandillas son una triste realidad en La Villita de la que algunos niños no pueden escapar porque no conocen nada más.

“Necesitan terapia, esto para ellos es su vida”, dijo Cruz, quien trabaja como conductor de Uber. “Es decepcionante”, dijo.

Matt DeMateo, pastor de la Iglesia Nueva Vida Community Church, organizó la vigilia junto con Enlace Chicago.

“Clamamos por justicia para Adam, su vida fue tomada demasiado pronto”, dijo DeMateo.

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