13-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead While Waiting for Mother to Finish Work at Gas Station

A 13-year-old boy has died after being shot outside a gas station in Los Angeles, according to reports.

On Saturday, Aug. 23, Saith Mendez was waiting outside of the 76 station in Pico Rivera when he was shot just before midnight, KTLA and CBS News reported, citing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

He was waiting for his mother to finish work inside the gas station, according to the outlets and NBC Los Angeles.

Detectives told CBS News that a suspect, identified as a man in his 20s, had suddenly approached Mendez before shooting him. The pair did not argue and no robbery took place before the shooting, detectives said, per the outlet.

The teen was found suffering from at least one gunshot wound. According to NBC Los Angeles, officials said the gunman shot the teen in the back multiple times.

“Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide investigators are responding to assist Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station with a shooting death investigation,” the LAPD said in a statement. “The incident was reported Saturday, August 23, 2025, at approximately 11:45 p.m. in the 8800 block of Whittier Blvd, in the city of Pico Rivera.”

They added, “The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

In another update, the department said they were “continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of a male Hispanic 13 years old.”

“The incident does not appear to be connected to the homicide that occurred on August 21, 2025, in Pico Rivera at this time,” they added. “Currently, there is no suspect information.”

The LAPD had previously confirmed that a man had been killed at “8:56 PM on the 9400 block of Washington Boulevard in the city of Pico Rivera.”

According to KTLA, citing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the man was shot at a Shell gas station.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting of Mendez, per NBC Los Angeles.

According to CBS News, family members — who remember Mendez as curious and full of love — said the teen took pride in being his mother’s protector following the death of his father several months ago. They said him wanting to be there for his mom was the reason he was waiting for her to finish work that night.

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A woman who knows Mendez’s mother told KTLA that she is homeless.

“She’s homeless and she was living in a shelter in Long Beach and she would bring her son because she didn’t want to leave him there,” Christine Kreimann said. “When she was working with customers, he would come and pick up around the gas station for her.”

At the time of publication, a GoFundMe page had so far raised over $9,000 of a $15,000 goal to help with funeral expenses for Mendez.

“As my cousin Favi is a single mother of 5, any donation or share means so much to us right now,” the description read.

PEOPLE has contacted the LAPD, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station for additional comment.