Elaine Rogers, Riley Billingslea’s grandmother and legal guardian with whom he lived in the Bronx, spoke with amNewYork through tears, urging the teens who were inside the apartment to come forward.
Dean Moses
The 16-year-old boy wanted for fatally shooting another teen inside a Bronx apartment earlier this month turned himself in to police Tuesday, the same day the victim’s family held an emotional funeral service for the victim.
According to police sources, Kalvin Veloz surrendered at the 50th Precinct stationhouse on Tuesday morning after a 13-day manhunt. The teen had been on the run since Aug. 12 and finally turned himself over around 10:20 a.m. that morning. He had been the primary suspect in the murder of 15-year-old Riley Billingslea.
Meanwhile, that afternoon, Billingslea’s family held a funeral service for the boy during which his grief-stricken grandma pleaded for her grandson’s friends to give police more information about the shooter, unaware that he had already given himself up.
“He’s going to meet friends wherever he goes, and those friends unfortunately led him to that apartment,” Elaine Rogers said. “I want his friends to speak up. If you are truly a friend, then it’s not enough to just come tell me. I need you to tell someone who’s going to be able to do something about it.”
Cops say the fatal shooting took place in a fifth-floor apartment at 2825 Claflin Ave. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, who described Veloz as having a reputation of being a bully, said he pulled a handgun from his backpack and opened fire as at least three boys hung out together.
“He produces a firearm from his backpack, inserts a magazine, racks the gun back, and makes a statement: ‘I’m going to throw some pain.’ And at that point, he shoots Riley in the head, killing him instantly,” Chief Kenny said.
A 13-year-old boy was also injured when a bullet struck a wall and ricocheted into his chest.
Veloz has been hit with a slew of charges, including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.