Woman, 27, Arrested as "Accessory" in Killing of Mentally Handicapped Man at Car Wash

A 27-year-old woman from the neighborhood near Florence Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard has been arrested for being an accessory to the murder of Tavin Price, the 19-year-old mentally handicapped man who was shot to death in front of his mother at the local car wash Friday morning over a pair of red tennis shoes.

In addition, Antheyst Jarrett was also charged with two counts of witness intimidation, LAPD Det. Chris Barling said. Two of her male companions are being sought and the detective urged the community to step up and identify the alleged attackers.

Even by brutal Los Angeles street gang standards, this killing has been widely condemned as one of the most cowardly acts ever committed under the now-ancient banner of "colors". 

"Someone that small and you got to put heat on him?" said a man who grew up in the neighborhood.  "You can't go toe-to-toe with a little guy like that? It's an embarrassment."

One of the men demanded Price, who was 4-foot, 9-inches tall,  give up his "red Chucks" - slang for Converse Chuck Taylor All Star tennis shoes - and the other shot him several times as he ran to his mother, Jennifer, who was washing her car at the time.

"Mommy, I don't want to die," Tavin told his mother.

His older sister said "He never left his mama's shoulder. He never left her side."

Residents of the area said Tavin - disabled at age three from a car accident - was well-known and liked, and enjoyed dressing  "stylishly", often wearing his red shoes in the neighborhood which is considered the "turf" of the Rollin' 60s Crips, the infamous gang whose "color" is blue.

Funeral service for Tavin, ( who preferred the name "Tevin") will be held Saturday, June 13 at 1 p..m at Angelus Funeral Home at 3875 S. Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif, 90008,  A Pay Pal account to help with Tavin Price's burial expenses is being set up .

If anyone would like to help the family with the costs of burial, check this site   - http://www.gofundme.com/w3u5ag

Anyone with information of this crime can call Det. Eric Crosson at (323)  786-5100