The scene was tragic and mysterious.
Jyquez Evans, a 13-year-old Forest Park boy out of school on Christmas break, struck a Freightliner on Moreland Avenue while riding his dirt bike Tuesday. He fell to the pavement, gravely hurt. Witnesses watched as a man walked over, apparently with no explanation, and picked up the bike. The man sped away as a bystander chased behind and took pictures.
Two days later, Jyquez is gone and DeKalb County police are still trying to piece together the case, as well as identify and locate the man who took the bike.
The child's mother, Shatara Churn, wept Wednesday and told reporters she thought her son had been targeted in a plot to steal the dirt bike.
But police said they had no evidence of that.
The incident report says witnesses and the scene suggested that Evans tried to run a red light and struck the box truck, which was turning from Henrico Road.
“No charges will be filed against the driver of the truck,” Maj. Stephen Fore told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday.
The mother also likely won’t be charged with any crimes related to the child driving in traffic, Fore said. Churn said the boy left on the bike without her knowing.
The man who took the bike is expected to face charges when found.
As the investigation continues, friends, family and neighbors are lifting the family up. Nearly 200 mourners gathered Wednesday to remember the boy at the site of the wreck, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Jyquez was a Forest Park Middle student, beloved by many.
They called him “Red.”
He loved riding dirt bikes from an early age.
He was known for an outsize heart and loyalty, especially to his twin brother. Teachers thought Jyquez was the kind of kid who could’ve changed the world if he’d lived. Several of them brought balloons to the crash site.
As the sun went down, the balloons were released into the sky.
Candles soon lit the night. Someone placed a teddy bear on a makeshift memorial.
"You can tell that he was loved and he touched a lot of people," Jyquez’s mother said.
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