After a year of heartbreak and fighting for answers, a grieving mother is speaking out on the tragic incident that left her innocent daughter killed as she was celebrating her birthday. Twenty-eight-year-old Evelyn Valdes was sitting in traffic outside a night club in Miami when she was caught i n the crossfire of a police-involved shooting. “I will always love her,” said Kristy Garcia, Valdes’ mother. Surveillance video shows the moment City of Miami Police officers opened fire as they responded to reports of a fight outside the night club located near Northwest First Place and 23rd Street on June 14, 2025. One of those bullets struck Valdes in the torso, proving fatal. “She gave me the title of mom. She’s my first born. She was my world. And I’m going to get justice for her,” said Garcia. Since the fatal shooting occurred, the family’s attorney said law enforcement and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office have not been forthcoming with evidence and have complained that the officers involved have not been held to account. The family announced a lawsuit against the police department for their actions that led to Valdes’ death that night. “There’s no reason for this investigation to not be completed yet when these officers,13 days after they killed my daughter, were back at work, so they should have something to give to us. They should tell us something,” said Garcia. In the lawsuit, the family’s attorneys said officers were in the wrong. “…Contrary to law, their own training and Miami police department policies and procedures, the officers involved in this shooting issued no verbal commands or prior warnings,” the attorneys wrote. “We know that they used excessive force. We knew that they were not only just negligent, but intentional in their actions by shooting into a city street. That’s excessive and unreasonable force and they need to be held accountable for that,” said Ramon Rasco, one of the family’s attorneys. Valdes’ family now sit and wait as they plead with the Miami Police Department to release body-worn camera footage or any information that can bring the heartbroken family closer to making peace with the loss of their loved one. “Accountability is that the person who killed my daughter is held responsible for it and punished. And not be able to go back to work 13 days later and celebrate birthdays and holidays with their families when I’m here broken hearted without mine. Justice for my daughter, that’s what I want,” said Garcia. Valdes’ brother said her story and the loss of her life is so much bigger than just her. “Our fight is for my sister’s justice but also to ensure that this doesn’t happen to other families. There shouldn’t be parents losing their children to the people that are supposed to be protecting their children,” said Jose Valdes. As of Tuesday night, City of Miami Police Department had not responded to 7News’ request for comment. ...read more read less