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Mother Pleads For Justice For Slain Teenage Son

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The mother of a murdered 19-year-old is asking for the public's help to find the teen's killers.

Jennifer Rivers says her son, Tavin Price, a young man with special needs, was shot and killed Friday morning after he refused to give his red shoes to gang members while they were at a local car wash.

The last minutes of her son's life haunt Rivers almost three weeks after his murder.

At a vigil Monday night, she asked the public to help find the person responsible.

"I've got to live with my son saying, 'Mommy, am I gonna be all right? Mommy, am I gonna die?' That part right there, I've got to live with the rest of my life!" Rivers shouted. "You dirty dog, you killed my baby in front of me!"

Rivers says when her son stepped away to the store, a man confronted him and told him to take off his red sneakers. Price, who had a mental disability and barely stood 5 feet tall, said no and told them he wasn't a gang member.

"He came and told me what happened. When I said, 'Let's get in the car,' and he was getting in the backseat, the boy came up behind him and shot him twice in the back," Rivers said.

Detectives say Price was not a gang member but the shooting was gang motivated.

Monday night, wearing the reason her son was killed, Rivers said she would attend Tuesday's City Council meeting to ask for at least a $10,000 reward for her Tavin's murder. And she is hoping members of the community will do their part.

"You guys know where he's at, and you guys are hiding him. And somebody should have a heart," she said.

Homicide detectives say they have one woman in custody for accessory and have good momentum on the case.

They also say they will be at Tuesday's City Council meeting to ask for the reward.

They are asking any witnesses to contact them at LAPD's 77th Division.

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