Family and friends of Roger Rodriguez, Jr. gathered Saturday to remember the 17-year-old boy they called "Sikm."
Rodriguez was shot and killed in the 9800 block of Alexa Place on January 23 after an argument with 21-year-old Franco Summers, authorities said.
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The young men lived a few houses down from one another. Police said they were arguing over Rodriguez' younger sister.
Dozens of people laid candles and floral arrangements at the site of Rodriguez' death. The teen was known to stand up for his friends and family, but no one thought he would die doing it.
"Even though 'Sikm' was at a young age, he'll back you up no matter what," said Guillermo Frias. "He was a good friend to depend on and its crazy that he's gone."
Franco Summers was arrested the night of the shooting. He was charged with murder. He was also charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly shooting Jesus Garcia Jr., who was with Rodriguez, authorities said.
For Monica Guevara, Rodriguez' mother, seeing so many people pay their respects to her son was evidence of just how many people he touched in his short life.
"He showed everybody just how great of a person he was," Guevara said. "He was loved a lot."
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