Robbery Claim: Family Seeks Answers After Teen Slaughter

Eighteen-year-old Nathan Bentley was killed in a gunpoint robbery in Northwest Miami-Dade on Friday. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office reported the shooting occurred around 11 p.m. near the intersection of Northwest 108th Street and 27th Avenue.

Bentley had finished purchasing food at a McDonald's when the incident began. His mother, Nohely Bogert, said the suspects were waiting at the restaurant. They spotted his friends across the street and went to greet them. During that time, the suspects followed Bentley. Bogert stated the group circled her son, pulled out a gun, and asked for whatever he had. When Bentley ran, they shot him.

Bentley’s grandmother, Curl Bentley Gonzalez, said the teen had attended a high school football game with friends before the shooting. She recalled telling him to leave the event early. "'Promise me that,'" Gonzalez said. "'And he said, 'OK, Grandma, I will.'" She described the family's state of mind as "absolutely in disbelief, in shock, complete devastation."

Bogert expressed that her firstborn son was taken for no reason. She described the loss as a major tragedy for the extended family. "His brothers is broken," Bogert said. "You affected a big, big family." Gonzalez added that Bentley loved his culture and was a central figure in large families on both sides.

Family members placed balloons, teddy bears, and signs at the scene. The group held a candlelight vigil on Sunday evening at the location where Bentley was shot. Bogert described her son as super intelligent, ambitious, and motivated. "My son lit up a room when he walked in," she said.

Investigators are asking for information from the public. The family hopes witnesses will come forward to provide answers. Bogert directed a message to the suspects: "Turn yourself in. You killed somebody you didn't even know. You targeted somebody for God knows what reason." Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers is accepting tips at 305-471-TIPS.