It’s been more than a week since two boys were killed in a hit-and-run crash in Antioch and police have not made any arrests. As the investigation continues, the community gathered in San Francisco for one of the victims to try to heal and remember him.
Dozens of candles flickered in the darkness of India Basin Waterfront Park in the Bayview Wednesday evening. It shed light onto two images of 13-year-old Amahjè Emenike.
The group of about 50 or so family, friends, school teachers, mentors, and more memorialized the 8th grade basketball player, the somewhat mischievous kid raised in Hunter’s Point, who some in the crowd say never met advice he didn’t take to heart.
It all changed Dec. 22.
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“It was my first chance getting to show him my new house,” Amahjè’s father Amanze Emenike said.
Amahjè was in Antioch for the Christmas break. Amanze said took Amahjè and his step brother, 12-year-old Arsenio Rabb, to the store and back. They were at the intersection of West Sixth and G streets.
“I proceed on through the intersection and bam!” Amanze said. Antioch Police said their car was smacked by an SUV. The occupants in an SUV fled on foot. Police cited speed and reckless driving. Amanze – now coping with his own issues as the sole survivor in their car – said the other driver flew through the intersection.
“It took my only about two seconds to feel, to really come to and get over the initial shock only to look to your right and see the whole right side of your car crush my babies,” Amanze said. “That’s tragic.”
For him and those at the vigil including Amahjè’s mother Sabra Bell. This evening, she was comforted by the community she and her son built and her memories of him.
“I’m going to miss him coming to my room asking me to Cash App him, I’m going to miss him screaming on the video game, I’m going to miss going to see his games, I enjoyed that as a mom,” Bell said. “I know my son looking down like, ‘I got all the support.’”
But while their supporters mourn and celebrate Amahjè, they also want justice.
“You took him from us, it’s just like he had a whole life ahead of him,” Bell said.
Turia Norbert is Amahjè’s godmother. “It’s a new year and they starting off the new year with their children being gone,” Norbert said. “You need to turn yourself in because you killed two children,” she added.
They hope that if that doesn’t happen, Antioch police will find whoever is responsible soon.
“It’s just going so slow and I feel like they should just be on their job because Arsenio and Amahjè deserve justice,” Bell said.
NBC Bay Area reached out to Antioch Police for an update on the investigation, but didn’t get a response.
Amahjè’s funeral will be later this month.
