Mother Of Teen Gunned Down In Monrovia Pleads For Help To Find Killer

MONROVIA (CBSLA.com) — The mother of a young man shot and killed in Monrovia last month pleaded with the public to help authorities identify her son's killer as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released a sketch of the shooter Thursday.

Shortly before midnight on April 22, Oscar Garcia, 18, was hanging out with a male and female in a friend's garage on West Cypress Avenue when a man suddenly approached the teens.

After a brief verbal exchange, that man opened fire, killing Garcia instantly and wounding the other boy, who suffered serious injuries, according to Deputy Lillian Peck. The girl was not hurt.

"It's been so hard for me and my family. We miss Oscar," said the victim's mother as she wept. "We all miss him. So please, please someone, don't be afraid. I don't want no mother to go through this. No family deserves to go through this. My son was an excellent kid."

Garcia was weeks from graduating. The high school senior enjoyed taking pictures and looked forward to attending a community college, where he planned to study photography, she added.

The shooter is described as a male Hispanic with a light complexion, 20 to 25 years old, about 6 feet tall, with a medium build, brown eyes, short, black hair and a goatee.  He was wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap with some kind of logo on the front.

Anyone with information about the deadly shooting is urged to call detective Scott Matlock or Sgt. Ken Perry at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to remain anonymous, call L.A. Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477), download the P3 MOBILE APP or go to lacrimestoppers.org.