Reward increased to $15,000 after 15-year-old killed on his way to school

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — There's now a $15,000 reward for anyone who knows something about who killed a 15-year-old student, Alejando Vargas, while talking to his mother on his way to school.

Detectives didn't talk about a motive for the slaying Wednesday, but they said Alex was a good kid who worked at a local supermarket to help his mom with the bills.

Two weeks after his death, deputies hope a possible witness will come forward with more information.

Vargas was walking along Waldo Street and on the phone with his mom during the incident, as he was most days walking to school, deputies said.

A memorial for Alex has grown over the holidays, but investigators are afraid at the same time interest in the case may have faded. They hope an increase in reward money might help.

“He was walking to school at that time,” said Detective Brian Savelli with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. “Obviously we know that he was on the phone with his mom, like he is every other day on the way to school.”

Investigators said Alex's killer is still on the loose and someone knows something.

Deputies released doorbell camera video of a vehicle seen a half block from where Alex was killed.

Savelli would not talk about motive Wednesday, or what kind of weapon was used. He said evidence shows there are multiple possible witnesses who have not come forward yet to tell what they know about the Boone High School student's murder.

“We can't find a person to say a bad word about Alex.,” Savelli said. “He was just a good hard-working kid, holding a part-time job while maintaining good grades in school. He was helping his mom pay the bills. Just a good kid all the way around.”

Investigators said this street was a normal route to school for Vargas, so they do not believe he was doing anything out of the ordinary when he was killed.

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