The father of a 16-year-old girl murdered by MS-13 gang members two years ago went to the teen’s memorial in Brentwood, L.I., Saturday to mourn someone else — his child’s mother, who died in a bizarre car accident.
“It’s not fair!” Freddy Cuevas screamed as he stood near Ray Court near Stahley St., where Evelyn Rodriguez, 50, died Friday following an argument with a motorist about their daughter’s memorial.
Cuevas wept openly as he stood near the site, according to Newsday.
He and Rodriguez became anti-gang activists after their daughter Kayla Cuevas’ death in 2016. Both were guests at President Trump’s State of the Union address earlier this year.
Trump weighed in on Rodriguez late Friday.
“My thoughts and prayers are with Evelyn Rodriguez this evening, along with her family and friends. #RIPEvelyn,” Trump tweeted late Friday.
Kayla Cuevas, 16, and her 15-year-old friend Nisa Mickens, both students at Long Island’s Brentwood High School, were bludgeoned to death with bats and machetes by MS-13 gang members, authorities said. Their bodies were discovered less than a day apart.
Rodriguez was preparing a candlelight vigil for her daughter near the Brentwood corner — marking two years to the day when her daughter’s remains were found — about 4 p.m. Friday when she got into an argument with a homeowner who was trying to dismantle the memorial she had placed there.
A short time later, News 12 Long Island recorded Rodriguez and an unidentified man arguing with a woman driving a white SUV over the memorial.
The SUV driver — a relative of the angered homeowner — pulled forward to leave the block and ran into Rodriguez, running her over, officials said..
The motorist remained at the scene and called 911.
No charges were immediately filed, although the case remains under investigation, officials said. The motorist’s name was not immediately disclosed.
Medics rushed Rodriguez to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, where she died. The motorist was not injured.
Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini, who worked with Rodriguez, expressed his condolences Saturday.
“She was a fierce advocate for her hometown of Brentwood and was fearless in her fight to put an end to the violence caused by MS-13 to ensure that other parents never have to endure the pain she suffered,” Sini said.
