9-year-old Wichita boy was ‘playful child’ who loved video games, mother says
The mother of a 9-year-old boy who died in an accident on Kellogg on Saturday night says he was a “playful child” who loved Hot Wheels, playing video games and riding his scooter outside.
Armani Saucedo was 9 years old and a third-grader who loved going to class at Irving Elementary, said his mother, Justice Seamster.
“I was thinking about putting him in soccer this year. He finally asked me that he wanted to play, but I didn’t get the chance to,” she said.
Seamster added that Armani aspired to be a professional video gamer or YouTuber. “His favorite YouTuber was Mr. Beast.”
She said a fond memory was when her son attended a Monster Jam event in 2018.
“He was so excited to see the monster trucks and motorcycles up close in person. He got a toy, candy and popcorn — it was just so fun,” Seamster says.
Armani came first in Seamster’s life, said Deanna Garcia, the mother of Seamster’s close friend.
“I have known Justice since she was 5 years old. To be such a young mom, she was just phenomenal. Armani was the type of child that walked in a room and instantly lit up because his laugh was just contagious. We really lost a good one,” Garcia said.
Garcia is the assistant manager at the Applebee’s on Maple and Ridge. The location is having a fundraiser to raise money for Armani’s funeral expenses, Garcia said in a phone call.
The restaurant’s “Together We Care” program does a fundraiser once a month by offering food items on a special menu. This Tuesday, 50 percent of the proceeds from the special menu will go to Seamster and her family for funeral expenses.
“We were able to do a fundraiser for her to help take off some of the funeral expenses,” Garcia said.
That fundraiser will be held all day March 15 at the Applebee’s on Maple and Ridge. Seamster also created a GoFundMe to help pay for Armani’s funeral cost.