Methuen Hit-And-Run Victim's Mother Wants Justice, A Vigil Remembers

METHUEN (CBS) -- The mother of the 11-year-old killed last night in a hit-and-run on a Methuen street wept openly and loudly Friday.

Jacqueline Diaz could barely talk, but she spoke proudly about her daughter.

"She was my special girl. She was my baby," Diaz said.

Her daughter, Jaydee Soto, died last night after a driver speeding down the street struck the girl and kept going.

Diaz wants something to be done.

"I want justice for my daughter...took my daughter away from me," she said through the tears.

Friday evening, friends and family gathered for a vigil to remember Jaydee.

Emotional family members and friends created a sidewalk memorial with candles, teddy bears, and balloons. Aunt Janet Mercado says Jaydee was creative.

"She was a beautiful little girl, and like to be creative. She was very artistic. She was an angel full of life and wanted to grow up and help people," Mercado said.

WBZ-TV's Juli McDonald Reports On The Vigil For Jaydee

The girl was crossing Broadway Street in Methuen last evening going to the dollar store with some money she had saved. She was walking only a couple of feet in front of her stepfather. That's when she was hit by the speeding car.

Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon says witnesses saw the car driving at a very high rate of speed.

"The vehicle was traveling toward Lawrence at a high rate of speed as the girl crossed the yellow line with her dad. The vehicle hit her, threw her in the air. Another vehicle coming from the other direction hit her. The driver fled and the father was uninjured, be visibly distraught," Solomon said.

Solomon has a message for the driver.

"If you are the driver of the vehicle, come forward. Don't make us find you and make no mistake, we will find you," Solomon said.

Police are urging the hit-and-run driver to come forward.

Neighbor Franklin Saito posted a sign asking for justice. He too has a message for the driver.

"It's reprehensible and outrageous, no excuse leaving how do you not render aid to a person in the street? If you're watching right now think you should surrender coming forward come forward that's a child, we want justice," Saraito said.

Police say that surveillance cameras captured an image of a dark car they think may be a Honda.