'This one really hurt me': KCK youth mentor mourns 2 teens killed in last month

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Two Kansas City, Kansas, teens connected to local youth mentorship programs have been killed by gunfire since August, leaving the people who worked with them heartbroken.

The mentors are calling for more community support.

Martin Cervantes, founder of Low Riding 2 Success, said he is feeling the loss deeply. The program mentors teens by having them earn each part and detail of their lowrider bike.

"This is Raul and Leo — those are the students we lost a week and a half ago," Cervantes said.

One of the teens was 19-year-old Leonel Lozoya-Esparza. A Kansas City, Kansas, police officer shot and killed Lozoya-Esparza in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 24, in the 500 block of Ohio Avenue.

The other student Cervantes mourns is 19-year-old Raul Lara-Delgado, who was killed in a shooting at an apartment complex in the 2000 block of Wheeling Avenue on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 24, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Cervantes said he had a close bond with both young men, spending around six years with Lozoya-Esparza through the program.

"They were both students in our program. I spent a lot of time with Leo — about six years altogether," Cervantes said.

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In the Low Riding 2 Success program, teens earn bike parts by meeting requirements tied to behavior and accountability.

"They get parts by providing clean UAs on probation or diversions, attendance, grades, and no negative contact with police," Cervantes said.

For Cervantes, the program is about giving teens a path forward. But he said not everyone makes it there.

"We spent a lot of time together, so this one really hurt me the most," Cervantes said.

The losses have prompted Cervantes to reflect on whether his and other programs are doing enough.

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"It makes me think, am I doing enough? Are we doing the right thing? Are we doing exactly what needs to be done?" Cervantes said.

Heartland 180, another organization that works with some of the same teens and helps youth earn their degrees, is also feeling the impact.

Executive Director Max Mendoza said the two organizations have long worked side by side.

"Ever since I met Mr. C, we've been working together," Mendoza said.

Mendoza said a lack of funding is making it harder for programs like his to reach young people.

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"We're losing too many young people because of the lack of pro-social engagement and the lack of resources," Mendoza said.

Both Cervantes and Mendoza are calling on the state and the broader community to come together to address the problem.

Despite the heartache, both men say they will not stop working to help turn teens' lives around.

"If we can all help one, it makes a difference — one student at a time, one young life at a time," Cervantes said.

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