Family and friends of Cooper Noriega, 19, have thanked his supporters for their outpouring of support after the TikTok influencer was found dead on Thursday.
Noriega was found dead in a mall parking lot on the 500 block of North First Street in Los Angeles just hours after posting a video about dying young.
On Sunday, in a heartbreaking tribute, Noriega's ex girlfriend Sabrina Quesada, 20, said the influencer was 'the best thing that ever happened to me,' sharing a picture of them as a couple and adding 'im so sorry my love. may we meet again.'
In another post, she wrote: 'You were the biggest light in the world, anyone who met you loved you so much. you had the most contagious laugh and brightest smile. you loved me more than anyone ever has and i will never forget how that feels. i'm so lucky to have been loved by you. you deserved so much better than this. i'm so f***ing sorry.'
Quesada, an influencer herself with 4.2 million followers on TikTok and almost one million on Instagram, parted ways with Cooper after a year and a half of dating in April.
'We pray that we all as a community can continue his legacy. He loved each and everyone of you,' said his sister, Parker Noriega, positing on Cooper's Instagram in a message to his fans.
'On behalf of our family we want to thank you all for the kind words of our little coop,' she added.
Police received a 911 call on Thursday from someone who found the young influencer unresponsive in the parking lot, TMZ reported.
The news came hours after Cooper posted a video of himself lying in bed with the caption, 'Who else b thinking they gon die young af.'
Cooper Noriega, left, is pictured with his ex Sabrina Quesada. Quesada parted ways with Cooper after a year and a half of dating in April
Quesada, an influencer herself with 4.2 million followers on TikTok and almost one million on Instagram, posted a tribute to her ex-lover
TikTok star Cooper Noriega, 19, was found dead in Los Angeles mall parking lot hours after posting on social media about dying young
Noriega had amassed 2.8 million followers on TikTok where he mainly vlogs about skateboarding, fashion and comedy. He also has 427,000 followers on Instagram, where he listed himself as a fashion model.
On June 5, Noriega revealed that he had started a Discord group strictly to discuss mental health.
On his Discord server titled 'Coop's Advice', the influencer set up a premium subscription to fund the rehab facility, with 80% going towards the project and the remaining 20% sent to mental health organisations.
'My goal is to eventually open a rehab where people aren't traumatized at the end of their recovery, and where the staff members are trusted people,' he posted.
Noriega's dad, Harold Noriega, posted on the Discord server: 'I want to first thank each and every one of you for all of the wonderful words [and] love sent to us about our beautiful boy.
'Coop had told us how much he wanted this Discord to be a successful place for people like him to feel safe to share their mental health concerns and find help and comfort.
'It is our goal to continue his wish with this Discord for people to be real and find love and support here. IfGAMING NEWScan help just one, just one person make a decision in the right direction, then Coops dream is a success.
'You cannot fathom how much it pains our family that Coop is no longer here and he will not be back. But with keeping his dream of this Discord safe and positive, Coop lives on. I also hope to find peace here with the loss of my little boy. I love you all. Harold.'
Friends on the Discord said that a GoFundMe link had yet to be posted by the family, warning fans wishing to pay tribute to Noriega against donating to potentially illegitimate accounts which had not been set up by family members
A Tik Tok user with the handle Chloe simply wrote, 'Hoping its not true but rest easy cooper.'
Consoling Cooper's ex girlfriend, commenter Amelie Zilber said: 'Those we love never truly leave usThere are things that death will never touch. We love you so much, Sab and are so devastated by this loss. Sending you strength and courage and light.'
Chase Keith added: 'Love you sabby, coop is watching over you.'
Friends on the Discord said that a GoFundMe link had yet to be posted by the family, warning fans wishing to pay tribute to Noriega against donating to potentially illegitimate accounts which had not been set up by family members.
The Samaritans hotline can be called for free on 116 123, or emailed at [email protected].
