A youngster was stabbed to death. His family called him a “gentle giant” with a “golden heart.”
Dylan Bragger was only 15 years old when he died in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on Thursday night from cuts that killed him.
At 9 p.m., emergency services came to the scene, but the aspiring car mechanic died even though they tried to save him.
Now, Felipe Figueiredo, who is 28 years old and lives in Skelmersdale, has been charged with murder and will go to court in Preston.
In the middle of the probe, Dylan’s family wrote an emotional statement about their son, grandson, and brother.
They said, “Our boy had a heart of gold, he was a gentle giant, and so many people loved him.”
“As a family, we can’t find the words to describe how we feel at this terrible time.
Dylan had a smile that could light up any room, and his big bear hugs could make anyone feel better.
“Our boy didn’t deserve any of this. He was just a 15-year-old kid trying to become a car mechanic, with his whole life ahead of him.
“There’s a hole in our hearts that will never get better, and no amount of words will ever make us feel better.”
“We will always and always love you.”
A few cops have stayed to watch over the cordoned-off area along a 70-meter stretch of road and woods where Dylan is thought to have died.
His death has shocked the people of Skelmersdale, and some of them say that a fight over a bike led to the fatal accident.
Tracy James, who has lived in Skelmersdale since 1966, told the ECHO, “His family is completely devastated.” Everyone is shocked because it was so out of the blue. It’s not scary so much as it’s sick. Last night, it was terrible.
“I was at home and could hear people running around and screaming. I thought they were just kids. Then someone came down and said, “Someone’s been stabbed.” In our time, a fight was over when two people punched each other.
“Nowadays, people just die for no reason. Young people carry knives because everyone else does. It keeps going around and around. What a waste of a life!’
After Dylan’s sad death, there have been a lot of kind words said about him, and a fundraiser has been set up to help his family.
John Hunter wrote, “The good do die young. Rest in peace, little Dylan. I’m in shock.” The family and friends are in our thoughts and prayers. Fly high, my buddy.’
Rebeccah-Jayne Gaskell said: ‘Forever young, forever 15. Dylan, may you rest in peace for all time. The whole town of Skem has stopped. At this sad time, my thoughts are with his parents, family, and friends. Couldn’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.’
Lancashire Police Inspector Simon Pritchard said, “A murder investigation is under way after a boy died in Skelmersdale. This is a very sad and terrible situation, and my thoughts are with the family of the victim right now.
“We have made an arrest, but we are still asking anyone who knows anything or thinks they can help us with our investigation to come forward.
“This happened near a busy two-way road, so we’d like drivers to look at their dash cam video and think back to any strange things that might have happened in the area.
“It’s important that we put together a full picture of what happened.” We know this has made people worried, but please know that this kind of thing doesn’t happen very often, and we have a dedicated team of officers working on the case.’
If you know anything, call the police at 101 and tell them the log number 1526 from June 29.