Brother mourns sibling, cousin

Boy suspected in 2 killings

LAKE WORTH — Zach Miner already was grieving the shooting deaths of his brother and cousin. His relatives died so young, each in their early 20s.

But the West Boynton double-murder case took a turn Thursday, when authorities announced the person responsible for the slayings was a 14-year-old boy.

“It’s devastating. And then to find out it ’s a 14-year-old kid. For just a little bit of money?” Miner asked Friday. “I guess little things like that matter these days to certain people.”

The teen is facing murder charges in the deaths of Miner’s brother, Ricky Miner, 23, and his cousin, Andrew Laudano, 21.

Zach Miner, 21, said he doesn’t know how, or if, his brother and cousin knew the suspect. “I’ve never seen the kid,” Miner said. “It’s just crazy to know that a 14-year-old was wandering around these streets and had a firearm in his pocket.”

On April

7,

the

victims were found dead with gunshot wounds. One of the men was found in a Dodge Charger, the other was found just outside the vehicle, parked along Talway Circle in the Melrose Park neighborhood off Lyons Road, authorities said.

An arrest report detailing the allegations against the teenager hasn’t been released.

The teenager is currently at a juvenile detention center. And in the coming weeks, the judge will decide whether to charge him as an adult.

Zach Miner said he and his relatives always were hanging out. Some of his best memories are of him spending time with his brother and cousin. The three were together hours before Ricky Miner and Laudano were found dead, he said.

“We were just listening to music,” Miner said. “We were all doing our laundry, just normal-type stuff, I guess.” He said, “I could have easily been in that car that same night.”

Years ago, when Zach Miner played football in high school, his brother Ricky always was at the games, cheering him on, he said. And about a decade