$30K reward offered for help in solving teen's killing in Palmdale

PALMDALE, Calif. (FOX 11) - With the 2016 murder of a 17-year-old boy in Palmdale still unsolved, authorities Wednesday were hoping that $30,000 in reward funding will generate clues that lead to his killer.

Jaquarius "Jay'' Quinn was found shot to death about 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2016, in the 2300 block of Old Harold Road.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $20,000 reward and the Palmdale City Council approved a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the killing.

Sheriff's investigators say the teen went out to enjoy an early Sunday dinner with family members who last saw him about 5 p.m. on the day he was killed. Detectives are unsure of a motive for the killing and said it was unclear whether the teen was shot on the street or pushed out of a vehicle on a remote stretch of roadway.

He was identified when his grandmother came to the sheriff's station the next day to report him missing.

The R. Rex Parris High School 11th-grader's hobbies included playing flag football with his friends, drawing, cooking and dancing. He was hoping to become an actor.

At a January news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles, authorities and the teen's family members appealed for help in solving the crime.

"Somebody knows what happened to my son," said Jessica Quinn, who was wearing a T-shirt with an image of the teen on it. "My son didn't deserve that. He was a kid; I mean, a child. How do you take a kid's life like that? ... I just want justice.''

Supervisor Kathryn Barger said his family "deserves to know that Jay's killer is held responsible. It is my hope that this reward will help someone remember something that may be helpful in finally bringing justice to the Quinn family."

Anyone with information on the crime was urged to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

CNS contributed to this report.