SAN ANTONIO – The family of Iris Rodriguez, the little girl shot alongside her mother near Cuellar Park on Wednesday said the arrest of a man in connection with her death can’t replace what they've lost.
The 7-year-old was shot while walking with her mom on San Fernando Street on the city’s West Side. Her family took the child off life support Thursday.
Iris's grandmother, Josephine Juarez, said her granddaughter was a remarkable and thoughtful child filled with light.
"Whether they're arrested and they go to jail that's not going bring my grandbaby back. It's not going bring her back," Juarez said.
Juarez said that her daughter Eva Juarez, 24, doted on her only child.
The young mother and her daughter, who had just finished the first grade, frequently walked to a corner store near their home for treats or simply to wind down after dinner.
Juarez said they made the trip almost every day.
"They didn't just kill one life. They're going (to) take two. I know my daughter. That was her everything," she said.
The family will be holding a plate sale Sunday to raise money to help pay for Iris' funeral and burial costs. It will be from noon to 9 p.m. at 1515 South Gevers at Tropicana Sports Bar. The family will also hold a vigil at their home at 8 p.m. in the 5000 block of San Fernando Street.