A 24-year-old man pleaded not guilty Monday to the gang-related murder of a 19-year-old mentally disabled man who was gunned down near a South Los Angeles car wash, apparently over his red shoes.
Kevin Deon Johnson is one of three men charged in the death of Tavin Price, who was killed while at a car wash with his mother on May 29.
The others charged in the killing are Dwight Kevin Smith, 30, and Kanasho Johns, the 27-year-old alleged shooter, officials said.
On the day Price was killed, the teen — who was called "Tevin" by some relatives and friends — was at the car wash with his mom and a friend when he went into a nearby smoke shop. LAPD investigators said one of the suspects questioned Price about his gang affiliation and red shoes.
Police said Price ignored the question about the shoes and was walking back toward the family's car when another suspect ran across the street and shot him four times.
Price's mother said her son had been mentally challenged since he was 2 years old, when he was hit by a car.
"You guys violated my child, you killed my son in my face and you banged on him for these same red tennis shoes right here, these same ones I have on, you banged on him for these shoes," Jennifer Rivers said outside court Monday. "And that's wrong."
Rivers said she was with her son at the car wash and saw the group of people approach him and ask him about his red sneakers, adding that he was not a gang member and that he didn't realize he was in danger.
“I’m going to get justice for my son, Tavin," Rivers said.
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Johnson and co-defendant Smith are both scheduled to return to court July 13 to get a preliminary hearing date. Smith pleaded not guilty on June 22 to a murder charge.
"We do believe that our client is factually innocent," Johnson's attorney Martin Wolf said outside court Monday. "He’s innocent of the charges but clearly, everyone is sorry for the loss anybody sustains with the loss of a child."
Johns is expected to be extradited from Texas to Los Angeles on Wednesday, according to Deputy District Attorney Bobby Zoumberakis.
Johns' case is expected to be consolidated with Johnson and Smith, who are both being held in excess of $2 million bail. Johnson's attorney told the court he would argue for a bail reduction.
An alleged accessory to the crime, Antheyst Jarrett, 27, was ordered on June 18 to stand trial. She's charged with one count each of dissuading a witness from testifying and being an accessory after the fact.
Prosecutors allege Jarrett tried to "maliciously prevent and dissuade"
Rivers, "from attending and giving testimony at a trial proceeding."
