Tribute honors Winter Park teen

Roger Trindade died after fight in Central Park

WINTER PARK, Fla. – A special tribute was held Wednesday evening for a teen who died after a fight along Park Avenue in Central Park earlier this month.

As part of the annual Winter Park High School homecoming parade, a moment of silence was held before the tribute in remembrance of Roger Trindade, 15.

Trindade, who was a WPHS student, was found unconscious the night of Oct. 15 after witnesses said a group of teens got into a fight near the intersection of Park Avenue and Morse Boulevard.

"It's sad. It really is," said Sharon Flood, the mother of Winter Park High School student. "I don't want to wish that on any parent, but we all have a feeling of we need to be here to support him and his family and that his family knows we continue to do things as a Winter Park community."

Winter Park High School Principal Tim Smith said he spoke with Trindade's family, who said their son would have wanted to be a part of the pep rally.

"They wanted us to continue with this because they thought their son would love this event, and they said, 'Please continue,' and that gave us the opportunity to move forward," Smith said.

Police said Trindade showed few signs of trauma, but was later declared brain dead at a nearby hospital. He was later taken off life support.

Since the incident, investigators said they have identified everyone involved in the altercation, some of whom are WPHS students.

Police said they are waiting for an official cause of death before deciding on appropriate charges.

The medical examiner's office is waiting on the results of a toxicology test before declaring an official cause of death.

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About the Authors:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.