LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The family of Angel Naranjo, 16, say they are trying to figure out if the circumstances around the teen’s death were accidental or malicious.
On July 30, Angel Naranjo, 16, was riding a minibike near Lake Mead Boulevard and Pecos Road when a cable laying across a pathway he was riding on resulted in the boy’s fatal injuries, according to a Metro police patrol report.
“He was too young,” Johnny Galvan said of his nephew, adding that it wasn’t easy to return to the bike path where his nephew died. “Just standing here knowing this is where he laid — when I’m looking at it, I want justice for him.”
The incident occurred after midnight when police said Naranjo and his brother were riding their minibikes on the pathway. On Monday, police stated in a release that based on witness interviews and evidence at the scene, a cable was tied to a fence post on the pathway where Angel was riding his minibike.
“That cable was slack and resting on the ground. It was not strung taut across the pathway. Angel’s minibike went over the cable, and it appears it then snapped up and struck him in the neck,” police added.
Police believe Naranjo’s death was “a tragic and unfortunate accident,” but investigators say the teen’s death will be “investigated actively.” Naranjo’s family says they disagree with police investigators.
When asked what convinced the family that Naranjo’s death was not an accident, Galvan cited “The way the cable was run across and tied.”
Police detectives were still on the scene Tuesday, continuing to investigate Naranjo’s death.
