As she does every year at the anniversary of her son's death, Annette Lopez returned Saturday to the site where he was stabbed, pleading with strangers to help bring his killers to justice.
Six years ago today, Michael Berrios, 22, was killed in Elmhurst, Queens, after he left a Christmas party with his girlfriend.
"Can you help me find who killed my son?" Lopez asked again and again, as she and 25 family members handed out 1,000 flyers with sketches of the suspects.
"Can you help me?" repeated Lopez, 44, as assistant manager at an orthodontist office, who lives in Ridgefield Park, N.J.
She showed her son's picture as she stood on a spot she's been to so often she calls it "my corner" - across from a subway entrance, where Berrios encountered the suspects.
"We hope someone will have some kind of sympathy for us or will want the money," said Lopez, referring to the $20,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the killers.
A CrimeStoppers van joined the family on the streets, asking from loudspeakers that anyone with information should call (800) 577-TIPS.
"We're hoping with the reward money - we're hoping with the sketch - that someone is going to say, 'You know what, I was at that party. So and so said something about this,'" said NYPD Detective Billy Milan, referring to another party the suspects attended.
Berrios quarreled with his girlfriend just outside the subway station and she fell and split her lip. Milan said video shows there was nothing physical, though she dropped her Santa hat and her lip was bleeding.
The suspects picked up the hat and became angry when Berrios snatched it back, police believe. They left, returning with four men to avenge the girlfriend, thinking Berrios hit her, police said. In the confrontation, Berrios was stabbed.
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