Community rallys to help family of 5-year-old hit-and-run victim

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - At Doss Park, life goes on in the shadow of a terrible death and grief that will be tough to shake. It was here that 5-year-old Jayden Aguilar chased an errant ball into oncoming traffic with his 3-year-old uncle. Both were struck by a driver who ran and is still at large.

Shandra Brooks is haunted by the sound of the impact.

"That sound plays over and over in my head, and to get to that street and see Jayden laying there...there's no words to describe that," said Brooks, a supporter of the Jets, Jayden's youth football team.

"The driver he did not even stop, didn't hesitate to even look to see what he hit," said Brooks, mother of three sons.

"No skid marks, no swerve marks on the road. It was like he ran through a piece of paper. That kids life wasn't about being a piece of paper," said Eric Gray, Jayden's Coach.

It is for those who loved Jayden and are left, that good hearted folks gathered Wednesday- parents and players breaking bread with BBQ. Multiple teams opposed on the field, but united in support of a family struggling to properly bury their boy.

"Every time you see him, he had a smile on his face. He shook everyone's hand. He was just glad to be here," said Gray.

And now he's not

Amid it all, coaches painfully stunned by the sudden loss, are searching for teachable moments as working class neighbors with little to spare offer what they can, even if it's just the price of a plate.

"As people, we need to love on each other and support one another, no matter what," said Brooks.

The abiding lesson - when the unspeakable happens, real communities, come together.

"We are out here strictly for the kids. Now is the time to show everybody that is really what you mean," said Walter Plummer, a youth coach and organizer of the benefit.

3-year-old Jeremiah Aguilar is expected to recover from his injuries.