'A club you didn’t even know existed' grieving mothers echo one family's calls for justice

Hernandez's mother, Marisol Miranda says the pain is still fresh.

Julia Burns

Sep 15, 2025, 3:33 AM

Updated 1 hr ago

Share:

Grieving mothers, grandparents and more stood shoulder to shoulder with loved ones of Bronx resident Michael Hernandez Jr. outside the Barclays Center, six months after he was killed.
News 12 previously reported the 27-year-old was stabbed to death near the Barclays Center in March.
Hernandez's mother, Marisol Miranda says the pain is still fresh.
“It feels like yesterday. It hurts. I'm learning how to walk with a limp. I get choked up. But this is life," Miranda said.
While no parent should have to bury their child, many of the people who attended did, like the founder of Not Another Child Inc. Oresa Napper-Williams.
“I think about my child every single day. It's a club we never thought we were going to be apart of. A club you didn’t even know existed," said Napper-Williams.
Police arrested and charged 18-year-old Noah Rentas. They are still searching for other people.
Miranda says she and her family will continue to call for justice.
Turn yourself in. I believe that if you turn yourself in, you're relieving that burden that you're carrying for knowing that you had an involvement in that. No matter where you go in life, that’s something that’s going to haunt you," Miranda said.
But she also says she wants to use her pain for change. The family created an online petition calling for stronger laws and sentences and for those who serve the time to get rehabilitation.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: