Residents walk for safer street in rememberance of Josue Flores

HOUSTON – Residents in a Near Northside community of Houston called are seeking streets for children Wednesday, months after an 11-year-old was stabbed to death during his walk home from school.

Josue Flores was stabbed to death in May, at the intersection of Fulton and James, in the Near Northside neighborhood.

Since that death, neighbors have called for a crackdown on vagrants walking the streets, as well as a perceived abundance of drug abuse in the area.

Wednesday's walk carried on their continued push for safer streets. The walk began at Marshall Middle School, at which Josue was enrolled as a student.

It ended with a rally at Moody Park on Fulton Street, blocks away from where he was killed.

"Save our children! Save our children," marchers chanted as they carried signs, which read "no more drugs," and "stand up and fight back."

"We're out here to make sure that people are aware that children are walking home and there are drugs and violence. We just want them to be safe on the way home," said Rachel Ochoa, a Near Northside resident and organizer of Wednesday's walk.

Since Josue's death, neighbors and marchers said their community has continued to be a hot spot for drugs and vagrants, making the walk unsafe especially for children in the community.

Organizers tell KPRC2 that Josue's untimely death brought much pain to their community. But, they said it also encouraged them to take a stand for what they said remains a persistent problem.

"We are just more vigilant about everything going on. We're more defensive about things when it comes to the children," said Del Torres, a Near Northside resident and organizer of Wednesday's walk.