Saturday, September 19, 2009

Mother of slain Coral Gables High student arrives from Cuba

Posted on Saturday, 09.19.09
CORAL GABLES
Mother of slain Coral Gables High student arrives from Cuba
The mother of the teen stabbed and killed at Coral Gables High earlier
this week will be arriving from Cuba Saturday morning.
BY LUISA YANEZ AND JENNIFER LEBOVICH
lyanez@MiamiHerald.com

The Cuban mother of slain Coral Gables High student Juan Carlos Rivera
won final permission Friday afternoon to travel to Miami to attend her
son's funeral.

At 3 p.m., the U.S. Interests Section in Havana issued Anais Cruz, 42, a
doctor in Cuba, a visa, according to U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
R-Miami, who has been workingwith Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent
Alberto Carvalho to help Cruz make the trip.

``I am very pleased that our U.S. authorities acted in such a thorough
and yet compassionate manner and expedited this case. No parent should
have to bury their children and I truly hope that Anais can find peace
after this heart wrenching ordeal. Finally, the family will have the
closure they seek,'' Ros-Lehtinen said.

Cruz will arrive in Miami on Saturday morning.

A viewing for the teen is set for Monday at La Nacional Funeral Home,
151 NW 37th Ave.

Burial will be Tuesday at Flagler Memorial, 5301 W. Flagler St. The
teen's father is traveling from Spain for the services.

Rivera, a sophomore, was living in the United States with his
grandmother and an uncle when he was stabbed to death at the school Tuesday.

ABC Charters has agreed to provide Cruz with a free flight.

The school district and the United Way arranged the funeral -- and are
raising funds to cover the costs, Carvalho said.

``This is a tragedy that has touched all of us,'' Carvalho said. ``To
afford a mother the opportunity to say a final farewell to her son --
that is something that anyone on earth should work to provide.''

Donations for funeral arrangements are being accepted at the website
www.givingourstudentstheworld.org. Please specify that the donation is
for funeral arrangements.

Mother of slain Coral Gables High student arrives from Cuba - 5-Minute
Herald - MiamiHerald.com (19 September 2009)
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/5min/story/1241069.html

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