Police say they arrested 37-year-old Kenhy Sarrias-Buelvas, who is facing multiple charges, including murder and manslaughter in connection with the death of 16-year-old Kemari Sanders from Soundview.
Sanders was shot in the neck in August, and resulted in his death in October.
His mother, Selena Cox, has been hoping the NYPD would find the shooter ever since, and was outside the 42nd Precinct in Melrose to get a look at the man who they say did it for herself, yelling at him as he was escorted to a car for transportation to booking.
"I didn't think I was going to start charging - start getting enraged like that," said Cox. "Just like you're living and you just killed my son and you don't even look like what you looked like in the picture," she added, referring to his clean-shaven look, compared to the unkempt and heavily bearded picture that had been released by police.
While Cox says she is glad they have someone in custody.
"It still doesn't take away the absence and the pain. It's never going to get better, cause I'm going to always miss my son," she says.
Cox tells News 12 that police say they still are not sure why the gun shots were fired, and think maybe Sarris-Buelvas thought that Sanders was somebody else.
"He took something from me that he can't give me back and I want justice. I want him dead," she said of Sarrias-Buelvas.
The arrest comes just three days after what would have been Sanders' 17th birthday.
"I have to go through his clothes and he's not here for nothing," says Cox said with tears in her eyes.
She says she plans to be at every court appearance Sarrias-Buelvas has until he is sentenced.