ORLANDO, Fla. — It has been three weeks since 15-year-old Alejandro Vargas-Martinez was gunned down while walking to Boone High School, and the search for his killer continues. 

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office recently announced a $15,000 reward in the case.

According to Barb Bergin, the executive director for Crimeline, the Florida Sheriff’s Association put up $5,000, Crimeline contributed $5,000, and Sheriff John Mina authorized another $5,000.

Vargas-Martinez's middle school teacher, Tyron Browder, says no amount is too small for the student he said “was funny, outgoing, and brought energy to your classroom, so you were always happy to see him.”

“Yes, I think he would be well worth it, but again, you can’t put a dollar sign on a loss. I know his mother wouldn’t care one way or the other. She would just want justice to be served however it looks,” Browder said.

Crimeline gets reward money through a state grant. That grant is funded through court costs paid by offenders throughout counties in Central Florida.

If you have any information in the Vargas-Martinez murder case, call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).


CORRECTION: Because of unclear information provided to Spectrum News 13, an earlier version of this article misstated from where part of the reward money came. Sheriff John Mina authorized $5,000 of the reward money, not a private donor. The headline and story have been changed to reflect the correct information. We apologize for the error and have corrected it on all digital platforms. (January 8, 2019)