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Jose Ortiz wants answers from the person who could "leave someone lying there and not help them," he told Daily Voice.
Jenna, an identical twin who had just gotten off of work at an area Five Guys Hamburgers store, was crossing Nesconset Highway southbound, when she was struck by a vehicle believed to be traveling westbound, according to police. The vehicle fled the scene, police said.
"We want the person to come forward and take accountability for what he did," Ortiz said, fighting back tears. "She had so much life to live.
"I am a person that loves animals. My family, when we see a stray cat in the street, we make sure that cat is sheltered, to be taken care of; and for you to leave someone just lying there and not help them, what type of human are you? Who does this?"
An incoming senior at Newfield High School, Perez was reportedly attempting to cross the street to get something to eat at Taco Bell after working two shifts at Five Guys when she was hit.
Described as a hard-working, intelligent teenager, who had faced plenty of obstacles in her life before coming to live in Selden, with her twin sister, Janell, and their guardian Donna Austin, a GoFundMe page said.
Ortiz said he was working on making arrangments for a funeral and started a GoFundMe page to help pay for it.
An earlier GoFundMe page organized by Emily Keuler has raised nearly $7,000 for Jenna's twin sister Janell Perez to "give Jenna the proper burial she deserves and help keep her afloat in the time she will need to take from work in the grieving process."
Jose Ortiz described Jenna as "outgoing, full of life, and driven to create her best life."
Jenna, according to her uncle, was planning on attending Suffolk Community College and then pursuing an early childhood development degree at Stony Brook University.
The day she was killed, Jenna had worked a morning shift at Five Guys Burger and went to a second location for training.
"She was going to become a manager," Ortiz said. "She took Uber to the second location for a second shift."
Ortiz said when Jenna got off work from the second shift, she called her guardian asking for permission to cross the street.
"Just the innocence of her making the call," Ortiz said. "She was an innocent young girl. Unfortunately, she was hit by maybe, we don't know, how many cars.
"There's no information so far on the vehicle. But for (someone) not to stop and leave someone's child, a baby, on the road, is just tragic."
Funeral services will be held R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home in the Bronx, said Ortiz.
The public announcement will be made when a confirmed date and time is received.
"I want to do my best to make sure we have a beautiful service for her," said Ortiz.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
To donate to either GoFundMe, click here and here.
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