Southwest
Texas teen honors late dad with tearjerking graduation speech hours after his burial: Doing this 'for him'
A Texas high school valedictorian who delivered a tearjerking speech against the backdrop of burying his father earlier that morning said he summoned the strength to keep going as he looked out over the crowd and saw how his words had touched everyone.
“I didn’t know if I even had the strength to do it. I was up there talking about my dad, and at any time I could have just I could have [stopped]. I wanted to stop, but I looked in the audience and I saw people listening to what I was saying and really taking it in and relating to me, getting touched by the words that were coming out of my mouth, and that’s what really kept me going. That’s what pushed me to finish my speech,” Alem Hadzic, the graduate behind the moving moment, said Sunday on the Fox News Channel.
The 18-year-old graduate lost his father, Miralem, to cancer on May 15, just one day before the ceremony at Early College High School in a community just north of Dallas.
SOUTH CAROLINA VALEDICTORIAN GOES VIRAL FOR SPEECH DETAILING FAITH AMID HARDSHIP FOLLOWING MOTHER’S DEATH
Alem Hadzic delivered a speech to his peers just hours after his father’s burial. (Early College High School/Fox & Friends Weekend Screengrab)
Standing before the crowd of peers and their loved ones, he wore the same muddied shoes he wore as he carried his father to his grave during his burial earlier that morning.
“I wrote the speech the morning before [the graduation ceremony], which is the morning he died. That was before I even knew that his funeral would be the next day,” he told “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Will Cain.
“So I knew I was going to talk about him,” he said. “I didn’t know that I was going to be burying him right before I gave the speech.”
Behind the podium, he told his peers his arms were shaking from carrying the casket, and that his father’s wish for him to achieve all of his goals gave him the determination to go to college and do just that.
HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN WHO GAVE FAITH-FILLED SPEECH REVEALS MOTIVATION: ‘JESUS TOLD ME TO WRITE THAT’
Alem Hadzic told Will Cain more about the backstory behind his moving graduation speech. (Fox & Friends Weekend/Screengrab)
“That’s why I’m going to go to college, and I’m going to spend every hour of every day working as hard as I can to achieve all of my goals, because that’s what he wanted, and I want to do it for him,” he told the crowd.
His original script mentioned his father’s death, but many of his words came on the spot, without any preparation.
“The part about the funeral, the part about me burying him and the ending, that was all added later. That wasn’t in the script. That was in the moment. That was from the heart,” he explained.
His speech received a standing ovation and praise from friends. It later went viral, garnering attention across media outlets as a heartwarming and uplifting message about family, strength and perseverance.
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“My takeaway is that anything I accomplish, I’m going to do it for my family, because they truly are the ones that have always been there for me and will keep being there for me,” he said to conclude the segment on Sunday.
“So I’m going to keep working hard. Like I said in my speech, I’m going to do it for my mom and my sister, and I’m going to do it for my dad.”
Hadzic plans to enroll at the University of Texas in the fall, where he will study chemical engineering, according to PEOPLE.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Woman killed by driver while crossing PCH in Long Beach
A woman was struck and killed by a driver while crossing the street on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.
On June 3, the female pedestrian was using the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Pacific Avenue around 4:50 a.m.
She had walked against a red light and was hit by a 19-year-old driver in a Chevy sedan, Long Beach police said.
Despite lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
“At this time, impaired driving, distracted driving and excessive speed are not believed to be a factor in this collision,” police said.
The woman’s name is being withheld pending identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is asked to call Detective Joseph Johnson at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Los Angeles, Ca
Man wanted for deadly Los Angeles road rage shooting extradited from Mexico
A man wanted for a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles was arrested and extradited from Mexico after fleeing the U.S. in 2024.
The suspect was identified as Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities had been searching for him since the deadly incident on October 10, 2024.
Rojas and a second suspect, Joshua Rojas Sr., 47, of Downey, were driving on the northbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights around 4 p.m. when they became involved in an altercation with another driver that escalated into a shooting.
Video of the tense confrontation showed the suspects, who were driving a Dodge Durango SUV, opening fire on two men in a Cadillac sedan.
The shooting forced the victim to pull over abruptly. That’s when a suspect ran up to the Cadillac, opened the passenger-side door and fired several shots at close range.
In a panic, the Cadillac driver tried to escape by making a sudden U-turn and driving against oncoming traffic. He eventually crashed head-on into several vehicles.
The suspects ditched their SUV and fled toward a freeway exit on foot. The Cadillac driver was left with serious injuries and his passenger was killed. Their identities were not released.
The incident caused a miles-long backup that left thousands of motorists stranded on the freeway for hours and authorities worked to clear the scene.
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two men as the suspects involved.
Joshua Rojas Sr. was arrested in San Bernardino on October 22, 2024, on a murder charge. He remains in custody awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, Christian Rojas had fled the U.S. and was hiding in Mexico, detectives said. A $4.3 million bail warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico,” CHP officials said. “The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant.”
On June 2, 2026, Christian was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face a murder charge.
“This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice,” said CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris. “For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence. Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide.”
Los Angeles, Ca
NB 405 Freeway closed near LAX after pursuit ends in gunfire
The northbound 405 Freeway will remain closed for several hours near Los Angeles International Airport after a police pursuit ended with officers opening fire Friday morning. Unconfirmed reports indicated the incident began with a robbery at a 7-Eleven store, which ended with Los Angeles Police Department officers pursuing the suspect in a Kia. The chase […]
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