ROSEVILLE-
The twin of a teen killed near the train tracks in Roseville told FOX40 he had spoken to one of the suspects arrested for his brother’s murder.
Twin brothers Josh and John Alpert of Palmdale dreamed of one day train hopping together. They said living “off the grid” would be cool.
“Many of the guys and gals who live this lifestyle. This is what they choose to do,” Lt. Cal Walstad of the Roseville Police Department said.
“He was very much wanting to go on a journey,” Josh said.
During Spring Break, 2013, John decided it was time for his adventure. But Josh, who was focusing on his Computer Science midterms, said he would stay behind.
But after what happened, Josh regrets that decision.
“I wish I went with him,” Josh said. “If I just went, probably none of this would have happened.”
Josh explained, his family was not too worried about John’s mini-adventure. After all, John had promised he would be back in two weeks. He called and texted his family everyday.
But suddenly, all communication stopped in mid-March.
“Everyone’s rational was his phone probably died.” Josh remembered. “He’s probably hitch hiking his way home.”
Meanwhile, his mother checked his cell phone bill, and found an unfamiliar frequently dialed number.
“The number that he called before me was Laura. Laura Kenner,” Josh said. So he called, and what he heard was unbelievable.
“She said that he was an alcoholic, and she wasn’t a babysitter,” Josh said. “She said he was a little kid. And no one really believed that. And so when she said that, it made me suspicious.”
As it turns out, his suspicions were right. In May, 2013, Roseville Police notified his family, that John was killed. Laura Kenner was one of three people arrested across the county, suspected of murdering John last March. Kenner was arrested in New Mexico, while Jules Carrillo and Edward Anauo were arrested in Nebraska last Friday.
“A lot of train riders think they can get away with stuff like that because they are off the grid,” Josh said.
This January was the first birthday Josh experienced without his brother. He said his friends made it more of a remembrance day for John than a celebration.
“He said if he didn’t come back in those two weeks, he would come back on our birthday,” Josh said. “He said he wouldn’t miss it for the world. So that whole time, I was hoping that it was really not true. And he would just walk through the door.”
The three suspects are being held without bail. They will be extradited to Placer County, and await trial.
“I don’t want him to be remembered as the kid who went train hopping and got killed on his first train hop,” Josh said. “I want him to be the person who really went after what he wanted. And not let life happen to him.”
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