HOUSTON – A north Houston mother of a 19-year-old man grieves the loss of her son after he was killed on his way home by a man leading Houston police on a chase.
Houston Police said Andres Saldana Sorto, 19, was on his way home and at the intersection of FM 1960 and I-45 when he was allegedly hit by a 16-year-old in a stolen vehicle.
Police said Andres Saldana Sorto was at the intersection on his motorcycle at about 2 a.m. Monday when the teen suspect ran the red light and struck him.
Sorto told KPRC 2 her son was a family man who loved his family and worked two jobs to help provide for his parents.
“He worked to help us, to pay the bills, food, whatever we need,” said Sorto’s mother, Maria Saldana Sorto.
Maria Sorto sat down with KPRC 2 Reporter Bill Barajas on how she is struggling to cope with the tragic death of her son.
“I don’t wish this on anyone. I don’t even know how to explain it, it’s a very difficult thing. My chest hurts, everything hurts,” Maria Sorto said.
She said the night of her son’s death, she called him at 2:30 a.m. and again at 3 a.m. and he wouldn’t answer.
“My husband came to wake me up later and told me The police came by and said he was dead. I went crazy,” Maria Sorto said.
She said she was going to miss him and expressed how he meant everything to her. She said Andres Sorto was a good man who would help people and never wished bad on anyone.
Maria Sorto said the family is currently in the early stages of planning her son’s funeral and has put together a GoFundMe to try and help pay for the expenses.
KPRC 2 also asked Sorto about HPD’s chase policy and the decision to chase the suspect.
“In my opinion it was wrong, they chase the people and they don’t realize that on that highway an innocent person can die and that’s what happened,” Sorto said.