Salinas teen gunned down by man on a bike Tuesday night, police say

There’s been another homicide in Salinas, which brings the total to 22 so far in 2015. The latest victim was a sophomore football player at North Salinas High School.

Salinas police said the shooting, in which, Carlos Robles, 16, was gunned down inside a car by a man on a bike on the 1500 block of Duran Street Tuesday night, was not gang-related.

His family told NewsChannel 5 Wednesday the teen had never been involved in gangs. The sophomore lineman played both sides of the ball for North Salinas High School.

His family and police have lots of questions: not only who did it, but what exactly led to the shooting.

“There was no reason for someone to come and do this to my brother. He didn’t do nothing to you,” said sister Vanessa Rojas.

Robles was a “football player, a jock, worked hard all summer to condition to make it to varsity,” said Evangelina Ramirez, Robles’ aunt.

“It’s sad a coward had to come and take his life away, and I hope you are hearing us and looking at the pain you caused,” Rojas said, referring to the suspect.

Longtime Salinas resident Eric Larsen said he saw the whole thing.

“I then saw a guy on a bicycle following along and he was shooting at the car while he was riding his bike,” Larsen said.

Police are looking for a 20-year-old light-skinned man who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Robles and his friend were both hit but his 17-year-old friend survived.

“People need to talk. You see a crime, report it,” Ramirez said.

That’s exactly what Larsen said he did by giving a statement to police Tuesday night.

“It’s needless. Whatever they must have been arguing about was not worth the cost of a human life,” Larsen said.

“I looked up to him,” said Jesus Robles, referring to his older brother, Carlos. “(Now I have) to look after my brothers and take care of them like Carlos took care of us.”

Police said neither Robles nor his friend were involved in escalating the situation to violence.

A GoFundMe Account has been set up for the Robles family: http://www.gofundme.com/4b3spqec