The 15-year-old accused of sho*oting and k*illing another teenager outside the Citrus Park Town Center Mall was expected to make his first court appearance Saturday morning.
Samuel Oquendo is facing second-degree murder and gun possession charges, but his first appearance didn’t happen. However, the State Attorney’s office said he is still being charged as an adult.
The 15-year-old’s case won’t be transferred to adult court for a few weeks. Once it’s been transferred, he’ll be set to make his first appearance in adult court.
“I’m just angry, frustrated, tired, sad. It’s just a lot, a lot of emotions right now,” the victim’s mother Bianca Cooper said.
Cooper’s son, Peter Hyman Jr., or PJ was taken from her last weekend at just 16 years old.
She showed up at the courthouse on Saturday morning in anticipation of Oquendo’s first appearance.
It’s the start of closure for Cooper, since her son’s father, Peter Hyman Sr. was shot 14 years ago. To this day, she has never had any answers as to who is responsible.
“I do feel a sense of peace that there was an arrest made, because 14 years ago when something like this happened to his dad, there never was an arrest. So, I do feel like some peace in that in knowing that they got the person. Now, I just want justice to be served,” she said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the s*hooting at Citrus Park Town Center last weekend started with two groups of teens slap-boxing each other in the parking lot.
Afterwards, deputies said the groups shook hands and left. Later on, they said people from both groups returned outside of the mall and a fight broke out, which led to the sho*oting.
Cooper said her heart will never be fully healed, but she is grateful for all of the arms that have been wrapped around her.
“The support from everyone from my family to his friends and their family, the community, it’s been good, and it’s been really getting me through this time. I’m thankful for them and for everyone who has reached out, it’s my days a little bit easier,” she said/
Cooper said there will be a vigil for her son on Sunday at 6 p.m. at Julian B Riverfront Park.
