'Too young to die': Memorial grows for teens killed in hit-and-run

Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal

By Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal

Elionel Jimenez and Alexander Rosas-Floras were ”too young to die.”

That's the message friends and family have left taped to a street light near Terrace Avenue and Leonard Street in Jersey City, the spot where the 15- and 16-year-old Dickinson High School students were mortally wounded in a hit-and-run crash on Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities say the boys were riding on a single bicycle when they were struck by a car driven by 20-year-old Rashaun Bell. Bell abandoned the car a few blocks away and took off on foot, officials said.

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Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal

Eilonel, 15, died at the scene. Sources say he was the boy peddling the bike. Photos, including one with his mother on the day of his eighth-grade graduation, hang at the scene of devastating tragedy.

“Everyone can’t believe you are already gone. This tragedy hurt us so much,” a note says.

“He loves me and I love him,” a quote from Eilonel’s mother reads.

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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

Alexander, 16, who was identified by school officials, was brought to Jersey City Medical Center and died at about noon on Thursday.

In the message to Eilonel, friends wrote they hoped Alex was going to be OK and said they were praying for both families.

Yellow roses were laid on the sidewalk and two candles were burning with photos of Eilonel taped on the front.

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Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal

Sources say the boys were riding the bicycle downhill when they were struck. The foot of Leonard Street grows so steep stairs replace what would be a sidewalk for pedestrians to walk on.

For residents, the intersection has been a tragedy waiting to happen as traffic pours off of Routes 1 and 9 into the Western Slope neighborhood.

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Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal

Patrick Castellon, a father of two children, said he went rushing to the intersection when he heard two teens had been injured, fearing one may have been one of his own kids.

“I panicked,” Castellon said. “They like to play around here with their friends. When I got over here and realized it was somebody else’s kid, it bothered me. I always said this was going to happen.”

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Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal

The intersection where the boys were killed aligns with an exit ramp from the busy roadway and motorists are only allowed to turn right on Terrace Avenue from the ramp.

But most drivers continue to turn straight up Leonard Street, causing extremely dangerous conditions for pedestrians, Castellon said, pointing as four cars in under a minute made the illegal turn.

He hopes to see more signage at the intersection and better traffic enforcement by authorities.

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Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal

A letter at the scene also promises the boys they will find the man who killed them. Bell, the alleged driver, has been described as one of Jersey City's most violent gang members.

Anyone with information about where Bell may be is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office at 201-915-1345 or leave an anonymous tip on the Hudson County Prosecutor's website. All information will be kept confidential.

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Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

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