Leandro died in July 2023 at age 19, his grandfather Robert confirmed to PEOPLE at the time Drena De Niro/Instagram is honoring her late son on what would have been his 21st birthday. On Sunday, Aug. 11, Drena, the daughter of actor , shared a post on social media in celebration of Leandro's birthday, just over a year after his death at age 19.
"Happy 21st Birthday up in the heavens cosmos my little angel," Drena, 56, wrote on her Instagram Stories alongside a baby picture of Leandro, his name and his birthday: Aug. 11, 2003. "I never stop thinking of you.
" Drena De Niro/Instagram Related: Leandro's father, Carlos "Mare" Rodriguez, also on his son's birthday to mark the occasion. Sharing a photo of himself and Leandro sitting on the floor and posing for a photo together, he wrote in the caption: "Happy Birthday my beautiful boy." "May your soul be resting in peace as it is in me.
Thank you for your light, laughter, Love and lessons," he finished the caption, adding the hashtag: "#youcantspelllovewithoutleo 💔." Robert, 80, first shared the news about Leandro's death on July 2, 2023, writing in part, "Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy." A spokesperson for the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information told PEOPLE at the time that a “male was found unconscious, unresponsive and was pronounced deceased by EMS on scene" on July 2, 2023.
Robert also shared his grief following his grandson's death, writing in a , "I'm deeply distressed by the passing of my.