Community members gathered tonight to remember a Hartford teen who police say was stabbed to death by his cousin over the weekend.
Dozens attended a candlelight vigil Thursday night to say their goodbyes to 17-year-old Bryan Salaman Acosta, who was murdered Sunday outside his Bedford Street home.
"It was just horrible. He didn't deserve said," said Greishalee Badillo, a friend of Salaman Acosta.
Salaman Acosta was a sophomore at Bulkeley High School and a member of the swim team. Grief counselors have been on hand, and the school postponed parent-teacher conferences scheduled for tonight so community members could attend the vigil.
"Everybody wanted to be just like him and everybody wanted to set the same goals he had," said Jose Flores, a close friend of the victim and recent graduate of Bulkeley High School. "I loved him like family. I loved him a lot."
Friends said Salaman Acosta was a popular student with a bright future and fun-loving personality. They want him to be remembered as a positive person and great role model.
"When I first met him, he really did touch my heart. He touched my life and he made a huge impact," said Badillo. "He made a lot of people happy and he made a lot of differences in their lives."
Salaman Acosta's cousin, 28-year-old Edwin Ruiz, has been charged in the teen's murder. Ruiz admitted to the stabbing and told family members he was going to jail, according to police. He's due back in court Nov. 24.
Members of the school community will held a remembrance ceremony outside Bulkeley High School at 1 p.m. Monday to say their goodbyes.
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"The passing of one of our students is always painful, regardless of the circumstances. It is particularly upsetting when the subject of our grief is a young man, who was very active in school sports activities and well loved by his teachers and classmates," Hartford Supt. Beth Shiavino-Narvaez said in a statement earlier this week.
A wake for Salaman Acosta will be held Saturday from 4-6 p.m. at the Deleon Funeral Home at 104 Main Street in Hartford.
