Mom of teen killed by hit-and-run driver speaks out

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — 15-year-old Kayden Schwartz's smile and personality are two things his mom Becky Schwartz says never went unnoticed. 

"Kayden was a beautiful person. He always smiled," said Kayden's mom. "He lit up every room that he went into. He loved everybody, never had a bad bone in his body."

Becky says she never imagined that would all change overnight, after losing Kayden to a fatal hit-and-run accident while riding a bike.

"We were numbed," said Becky. "We didn't know, we didn't want to believe that it was our kid."

The hit-and-run happened around 3 a.m. on Feb. 9, on Reynolds Road near County Road 578 just south of Rio Hondo. 

Later that same morning, Kayden's family noticed Kayden was gone. Shortly after, Becky says there were DPS troopers at her door.

"Nobody wants to believe that their kid snuck out and something terrible like this happened."

DPS special agents in Laredo arrested two people in connection to the hit-and-run, 45-year-old Rodolfo Ruiz Jr. and his wife, 43-year-old Lluliana Milera Ruiz. Troopers says Rodolfo was driving a 2023 Ford F-250 northbound on Reynolds Road when he struck and killed Kayden.

Becky says the couple did not stop to help her son. She said his bike had front and back reflectors.

"I just can't believe that someone would do that," said Becky. "It doesn't matter that he was a child. How could you hit somebody or even an animal? They obviously knew that it was a person, and then drove away, it doesn't make sense to me."

Becky says she believes Kayden snuck out of his bedroom to go see his girlfriend. Something she says he had never done before. 

"I knew everything about his friends and any crazy stuff he did at school," said Becky. "Even if it was bad he always told me. I knew everything about him, so for that one night for him to sneak out it. I'm just wondering why."

But in his own way, Kayden said goodbye to his mom.

"He always had this thing where he would just jump on me on the couch and say buggy," said Becky. "Because we used to call him bug when he was a little kid. So, he jumped on me and said buggy. I love you mom, goodnight."

Becky says those were his last words. Meanwhile, Becky says she prays for the couple driving that truck.

"I don't, I don't think I'll ever forgive them, I just can't imagine," she said. "You hit somebody and left them there to die, I can't fathom that in my mind, maybe someday. I just can't right now."