ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Family, friends, and community members are still pushing for answers two weeks after a car hit 17-year-old Daniela Mendiola, killing her.
Over 30 people gathered outside the Alamance County courthouse Tuesday to support Mendiola's family.
They told WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman why they felt the need to push for justice.
"I can't believe I don't have my daughter anymore," Mendiola's father said. "Where is the justice?"
From the moment Daniela Mendiola died, her family said something wasn't right.
WFMY News 2 reported a couple of weeks back that according to highway state patrol troopers, 17-year-old Mendiola was walking in the middle of Oak Grove Church Road in Liberty when a car hit her and took off.
Family members and some neighbors said she was waiting in her boyfriend's driveway.
There's also been a dispute over the driver, who returned to the scene about 30 minutes later.
Mendiola's family said the driver came back in a different car.
Highway patrol said it was the same car. They said because he returned, he won't be charged.
No matter the scenario, Mendiola's family feels as if her case hasn't been taken seriously. That's why they stood in front of the Alamance County courthouse and demanded justice.
"No matter what color you are… justice is the same," Mendiola's father said.
The same goes for Olivia Vitale, an independent journalist who drove over four hours to join the demonstration.
"It just feels like her story was being swept under the rug," Vitale said.
She said it's crucial to spread the word about Daniela's story, particularly online.
"The way that people gather their news is different than how it was. It's changed. People are on their phones. So it's important to have her face be on all different platforms," Vitale said.
Mendiola's family said this is just the beginning.
"We are not gonna stop. We will just keep going and going and going," her father said.
Daniela's father said they plan to continue demonstrating outside of the courthouse until there's justice for his daughter, 17-year-old Daniela Mendiola.
WFMY News 2 reached out to Highway Patrol after hours to get an update on the investigation, but we haven't heard back.